power play

noun

1

: a military, diplomatic, political, or administrative maneuver in which power is brought to bear

2

a

: a concentrated attack in football in which the ballcarrier is preceded by a mass of blockers

b

: a situation in ice hockey in which one team temporarily has more players on the ice than the other team because of a penalty

Examples of power play in a Sentence

They scored their first goal on a power play.

He made a power play to seize control of the company.

Recent Examples on the Web

Florida has performed well on the penalty kill, leading the league by fending off nearly 88 percent of opposing power plays in the postseason. —Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2025

And an excellent contributor at the left flank on the power play. —Thomas Drance, New York Times, 2 June 2025

Kinnear said the Checkers’ power play unit is tightly knit. —Steve Lyttle, Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2025

Sam Bennett added an empty-net goal with 54 seconds left by skating down a loose puck straight out of the penalty box after the Panthers had held up against a critical late power play for the Hurricanes. —Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for power play

• aaa
• adonais
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway