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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Florida has killed 14 of 15 power plays so far this series. Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2025 The winning goal came from Leon Draisaitl, who beat Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper on the power play with 1:42 left in the extra period. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025 Part of that was due to the amount of power plays; Suzuki typically comes out after Canadiens’ penalty kills, which is when Strome typically is off the ice, and vice versa. Arpon Basu, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 With that, the game will have 24 seconds of 4-on-4 to begin the third period followed by a Panthers power play for 1:36. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for power play

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of power play was in 1947

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Power play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power%20play. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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