1
as in ruses
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
asking me to take her shopping turned out to be a ploy to get me to the surprise party
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in sprees
a time or instance of carefree fun
wanted one grand ploy through Europe before settling down and raising a family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ploys
There’s the White House and its malicious megaphone of mindlessness; the generative AI advocates and their pushy, pathetic ploys; the Major League Baseball owners and their dedication to self-destruction.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
Their poverty, the fruit of Salieri’s malicious ploys, tests the limits of their endurance.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
There are numerous other bold characters getting tangled up in new ploys aimed at giving them a step up in a world that wants to keep them tamped down.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Carr throws the event, Liberty shows up with bagpipers, but both ploys fall flat with Dina.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Workers in the scam compounds are often trafficked from third countries, usually under the pretense of a lucrative job offer, and then forced to scam people online with investment pitches or romantic ploys.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Scammers are improving their ploys to be even more convincing.
—Summer Stephan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025
As with all Survivor ploys, if the rules don’t explicitly forbid it — heck, get in there and work it to your advantage!
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
Their poverty, the fruit of Salieri’s malicious ploys, tests the limits of their endurance.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
There are numerous other bold characters getting tangled up in new ploys aimed at giving them a step up in a world that wants to keep them tamped down.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Carr throws the event, Liberty shows up with bagpipers, but both ploys fall flat with Dina.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Workers in the scam compounds are often trafficked from third countries, usually under the pretense of a lucrative job offer, and then forced to scam people online with investment pitches or romantic ploys.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Scammers are improving their ploys to be even more convincing.
—Summer Stephan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025
As with all Survivor ploys, if the rules don’t explicitly forbid it — heck, get in there and work it to your advantage!
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ploys
Noun
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The New York Colored American reported that some offers of short-term work for Black men — moving livestock to or from Kentucky, for example — were ruses that ended with kidnappings.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In general, her scoring sprees feel more sustainable and less like streaky bursts of shooting.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Feb. 2026
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So far, federal prosecutors in Minnesota have convicted 62 people in connection to the scandal, which tops the list of the nation's most costly COVID-era fraud sprees.—
Jonah Kaplan,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Over the past decade, United States Attorney’s Offices in New York City, Boston and Philadelphia have charged dozens of individuals in corruption and fraud schemes involving college coaches, players and athletic department personnel.—
Robert L. Boone,
Sportico.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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The company described cargo theft as a growing issue marked by increasing sophistication in the schemes used by criminals.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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During the Apollo missions, astronauts used urine collection and transfer devices, as well as plastic bags taped to the buttocks to collect feces.—
ByMary Kekatos,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Our bill will ban the federal government from buying and operating these devices made in countries that wish us harm.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Tiffany has a few tricks up its sleeve that aren’t jewelry or limited-edition chronograph, one of which is this shapely teapot.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
31 Mar. 2026
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Maybe the tricks learned during this trial can help drivers form some better, cheaper habits to continue when gas prices inevitably decrease again.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ploys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ploys. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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