ploy

noun

A tactic, strategy, or scheme.

(UK, Scotland, dialect) Sport; frolic.

(obsolete) Employment.

verb

(military) To form a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision.

Roots

implicareploy- · Latin · to enfold, engage, employ

Synonyms for ploy

stratagemn gambitn rusen tacticn subterfugen gimmickn trickn trickeryn chicaneryn artificen contrivancen strategyn juggleryn feintn maneuvern

Synonyms & related words for ploy

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of ploy — including stratagem, gambit, ruse, tactic, subterfuge, gimmick. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to ploy

Explore words related to ploy — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include trickish, machination, gimmickry, trapan, shenanigan, deception, hoodwink, underplot. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for ploy

Common synonyms for ploy include stratagem, gambit, ruse, tactic, subterfuge, gimmick, trick, trickery — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does ploy come from?

The word ploy breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root ploy, from Latin implicare (“to enfold, engage, employ”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.