power play
noun
1
: a military, diplomatic, political, or administrative maneuver in which power is brought to bear
2
a
: a concentrated attack in football in which the ballcarrier is preceded by a mass of blockers
b
: a situation in ice hockey in which one team temporarily has more players on the ice than the other team because of a penalty
Examples of power play in a Sentence
They scored their first goal on a power play.
He made a power play to seize control of the company.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Rangers’ scoring fell below expectations at five-on-five this year, and in each of the last two years on the power play.
—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Over the course of nine seasons, the series follows the lawyers at the premier New York City corporate law firm Pearson Hardman, chronicling their court cases, love lives, and power plays.
—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 June 2026
His quick snap shot from the bumper became a specialty and made the B’s power play a monster, especially when Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak were on his flanks.
—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
23 June 2026
In 30 games from the second week of January to April 1 this season, Eklund scored just one goal and recorded 14 assists, despite being sixth among all Sharks players in total power play time in that span.
—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for power play
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Over the course of nine seasons, the series follows the lawyers at the premier New York City corporate law firm Pearson Hardman, chronicling their court cases, love lives, and power plays.
—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 June 2026
His quick snap shot from the bumper became a specialty and made the B’s power play a monster, especially when Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak were on his flanks.
—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
23 June 2026
In 30 games from the second week of January to April 1 this season, Eklund scored just one goal and recorded 14 assists, despite being sixth among all Sharks players in total power play time in that span.
—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for power play
Cite this Entry
“Power play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power%20play. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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