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 Sharks took control with three goals in the second starting when Toffoli tapped in a perfect feed from rookie Ivar Stenberg on the power play. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026

Artturi Lehkonen had two goals, Brock Nelson had a goal and two assist and Mackenzie Blackwood made 26 saves for Colorado, which scored four times on the power play and allowed two shorthanded goals. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

The teams combined to go 0 for 11 on power plays through two periods, with Carolina failing to convert on five chances before that total reached six. — Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

The 24-year-old played more than ever last season but still managed a modest 24 goals and 49 points despite getting regular turns on the power play and penalty kill. — Max Bultman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for power play

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway