POWER PLAY Definition & Meaning

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power play

noun

Football. an aggressive running play in which numerous offensive players converge and forge ahead to block and clear a path for the ball carrier.
Ice Hockey.
1. a situation in which one team has a temporary numerical advantage because an opposing player or players are in the penalty box, and hence has an opportunity for a concerted, swarming attack on the opponent's goal.
2. the offensive strategy or effectiveness of the team having such an advantage.
an action, stratagem, or maneuver, as in politics or business, by which power is concentrated or manipulated in order to subdue a rival or gain control of a situation.

power play

noun

behaviour or tactics intended to magnify a person's influence or power
the use of brute strength or force of numbers in order to achieve an objective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of power play¹

First recorded in 1960–65

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Trump’s social media post suggests the renewed focus on coal is part of a power play against China, which relies heavily on cheap coal power for its manufacturing sector and economic expansion.

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Kuzmenko, 29, had 39 goals and 35 assists for Vancouver in his first NHL season in 2022-23 and 26 of his 67 career goals have come on the power play, where the Kings have struggled.

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Several artists affiliated with the Kennedy Center have stepped away from their roles in the wake of Trump's power play.

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It’s true that Trump’s ignorance, carelessness and xenophobia render him uninterested in overseas power plays that lack any obvious short-term benefits.

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“I think this was a power play to show how strong they are,” Choi said.

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