Ploy example sentences

Related (13): scheme, tactic, strategy, trick, ruse, stratagem, maneuver, deception, manipulation, gambit, cunning, devious, calculated

"Ploy" Example Sentences

His whole apology was just a ploy to get her back.
The company's rebrand was clearly a ploy to distract from the scandal.
She saw through his ploy immediately — nobody falls for that twice.
It's an old ploy, but it works every time on people who aren't paying attention.
The government's new initiative seemed like a ploy to boost approval ratings before the election.
He used flattery as a ploy to convince her to lend him money.
That whole story about being sick was a ploy to skip work.
I can't believe you fell for such an obvious ploy.
The marketing team came up with a clever ploy to get younger customers interested.
Her sudden interest in his hobbies was a transparent ploy for attention.
What started as a harmless ploy turned into something much bigger.
The ploy worked better than anyone expected — they doubled their sales in a month.
He recognized the ploy for what it was: manipulation dressed up as concern.
Every time she uses that ploy, I want to laugh and scream at the same time.
The ploy backfired spectacularly when the truth came out.
Nobody was fooled by that ploy — we all knew what he was doing.
She'd used the same ploy so many times that it had lost all its power.
The whole thing felt like a ploy to keep us distracted from the real issue.
His latest ploy involves pretending he doesn't remember what happened.
That's just a ploy to make you feel guilty for leaving.
The ploy was simple but effective: create urgency where none existed.
I respect the audacity of the ploy, even if I don't respect the person behind it.
Every political campaign uses some version of this ploy.
Her ploy to seem relatable only made her seem more fake.
The ploy relied on people being too tired to question anything.
He'd been using the same ploy since high school — it was getting old.
The ploy almost worked, but then someone asked the right question.
What kind of ploy is this supposed to be?
The ploy was transparent, but apparently that didn't matter to most people.
She admitted later that the whole thing had been a ploy from the start.

Common Phrases

a ploy to
a clever ploy
a transparent ploy
fall for a ploy
see through a ploy
an old ploy
a marketing ploy
a political ploy
a ploy that backfired
recognize a ploy

Examples by Level

That was just a ploy to get money from you.
His apology was a ploy — he didn't really mean it.

She used flattery as a ploy to make him help her.
The company's sale seemed like a ploy to attract new customers.

Looking back, I realize the whole thing was a ploy to manipulate me into staying.
The government announced a new program, but critics called it a ploy to distract from bigger problems.

What appeared to be genuine concern was actually a calculated ploy designed to lower her defenses.
The marketing campaign's emotional appeal felt less like authentic storytelling and more like a transparent ploy for sales.

Beneath the surface of his seemingly spontaneous gesture lay a carefully orchestrated ploy to reposition himself as the injured party.
The administration's pivot toward populist rhetoric was, in essence, a ploy to consolidate power before the institutional checks could reassert themselves.

What struck her most was not the ploy itself, but the casual assumption that she would be naive enough to fall for it — a kind of contempt dressed up as strategy.
The entire negotiation had been, from the outset, a ploy to extract concessions while appearing to make them, a masterclass in the theater of good faith.

Examples by Scenario

🏠 Everyday Life

My kid's sudden interest in helping with chores was a ploy to get out of bedtime.
He claimed he was too tired to go out, but it was just a ploy to avoid seeing his ex.

💼 Workplace

The manager's team-building exercise felt like a ploy to get us to work harder without paying us more.
She suggested a meeting to discuss my concerns, but it turned out to be a ploy to put me on the spot in front of the team.

📊 Business

The company's sudden focus on sustainability was a ploy to improve their public image after the environmental scandal.
The discount offer was a ploy to get customers to sign up for their subscription service.

🛒 Buying / Shopping

That limited-time offer is just a ploy to make you buy something you don't need.
The store's clearance section is a ploy to get you to spend money on things you wouldn't normally want.

✈️ Travel

The hotel's free breakfast was a ploy to justify the inflated room rate.
Booking through their website directly seemed like a ploy to avoid paying the travel agent commission.

📚 Education

The teacher's pop quiz was a ploy to catch students who hadn't done the reading.
Offering extra credit at the last minute felt like a ploy to make students think the grading was fair.

❤️ Relationships

When he suddenly started texting her every day, she knew it was a ploy to get back together.
Her sudden kindness felt like a ploy to make him feel guilty about the breakup.

📰 News / Politics

Critics argued that the new policy was a ploy to suppress voter turnout in certain districts.
The politician's charity announcement came just before the election, leading many to see it as a ploy for votes.

💻 Technology

The app's free trial was a ploy to get you hooked before charging a subscription fee.
The update that slowed down older phones was seen by many as a ploy to force upgrades.

📝 Formal Writing

The study's methodology was criticized as a ploy to produce predetermined results that favored the funding organization.
Scholars have long debated whether the historical account was an accurate record or a ploy to justify territorial expansion.