[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/ploy/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [P](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/p/) / ploy

# ploy

noun (a ploy, ploys)

«ploy» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

A clever trick or plan used to get an advantage or to make someone do something. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/ploy/#m1)

### In the lessons

In stories, games and advertising, a ploy is a sneaky plan: a "free gift" can be a ploy to make you buy more. In sport, a ploy is a tactic to fool the other side. Media literacy lessons teach children to spot marketing ploys.

### Examples

- The "free" toy was a ploy to get us to buy more cereal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/ploy/#x1)
- Pretending to be ill was a ploy to miss the test. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/ploy/#x2)
- The team used a clever ploy to win the ball. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/ploy/#x3)
- The fox's ploy was to flatter the crow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/ploy/#x4)
- Adverts use ploys to make you want things. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/ploy/#x5)
- His ploy didn't work; Mum saw through it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/ploy/#x6)

### Note

Countable. Short, informal-neutral word. Similar: trick, tactic, scheme. In shop maths, a "buy 3 for the price of 2" offer only saves money if you actually need 3.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ploy» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/ploy/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ploy» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ploy.html) on Mova free.