CEFR B2

ploy

noun

Meaning

A cunning plan or scheme, especially one used to gain an advantage over an opponent or to avoid an awkward situation.

Examples

The company's offer of a 'free' gift was just a marketing ploy to get customers to sign up for a subscription.
He tried to use a fake injury as a ploy to get out of doing his chores, but his parents saw right through it.

Synonyms: trick, tactic, ruse, stratagem

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ploy (B2)

noun

Pronunciation: /plɔɪ/

Definition

A cunning plan or scheme, especially one used to gain an advantage over an opponent or to avoid an awkward situation.

Examples

The company's offer of a 'free' gift was just a marketing ploy to get customers to sign up for a subscription.
He tried to use a fake injury as a ploy to get out of doing his chores, but his parents saw right through it.
Detectives suspected the sudden confession was a clever ploy to protect someone else.

How to Use ploy

use a ploy (collocation): To employ a deceptive plan. — "The negotiator tried to use a ploy to get the other side to concede."
ploy to do something (prepositional phrase): A trick intended to achieve a specific action. — "It was a desperate ploy to escape the consequences of his actions."

Synonyms of ploy

Words with a similar meaning to ploy:

Antonyms of ploy

Words with the opposite meaning to ploy:

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