PLY Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

ply 1 of 3

noun

Definition of ply

as in bias

an attitude that always favors one way of feeling or acting especially without considering any other possibilities since taking a ply to French burgundies, he's hardly even looked at anything else in the wine store

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ply

2 of 3

verb (1)

ˈplī

as in to exert

to bring to bear especially forcefully or effectively she plied all of her charm and intelligence to convince everyone to volunteer as tutors

Synonyms & Similar Words

ply

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to weave

to cause to twine about one another two single yarns were plied together to get the fabric that smooth, firm feel

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of ply

Noun

By then, standard-issue electric typewriters and six-ply carbon paper had been replaced by far less visually interesting computers. — Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026 To make this a game-changer, Mitsubishi employed a craftsman hand-roll process using full-length, high-strength carbon fiber plies in internal layers, to create a super smooth bend profile for the best-possible feedback and feel. — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Verb

Perhaps the next target for cellphone usage should be in supermarkets where some shoppers unsuccessfully try to multitask while plying grocery aisles. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 In the Netherlands and neighboring Germany cargo ships that ply the Rhine and its offshoots have been forced to carry significantly less freight or risk running aground in shallow navigation channels. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ply

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ply

Noun

According to the American Civil Liberties Union in 2020, this technology can result in bias and inaccuracies.

— Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Every public high school student will be required to complete two 45-minute AI-literacy modules, covering what AI is and is not, as well as bias, risks, ethics, careers and future skills.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of bias

Verb

Heat cramps typically occur after exerting yourself in the heat and sweating a lot.

— Dale Denwalt, Oklahoman, 29 Aug. 2026
According to the sheriff's office, Awais used his property-management companies and his relationships with association board members to exert control over the organizations' operations and finances.

— Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of exert

Verb

In a women's cooperative in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains, members weave wedding blankets, and at a workshop in Bagru in India, artisans pound block prints onto fabric.

— Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Novotny recently created the look for Julia Fox, weaving chestnut tones through the deeper base for a soft, lived-in effect.

— Amanda Le, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of weave

Noun

There is a tendency for gloom to descend when thinking about Europe’s economic and business prospects.

— Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Bonnell The enthusiast’s approach Bonnell’s team uses matters because electric motorcycles have an annoying tendency to make power delivery either spectacularly good or spectacularly stupid.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of tendency

Verb

Operators can also continue using diesel when hydrogen supplies are unavailable.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
Razorbill brings that experience to one of the industry's most recognizable blade profiles, using extensive CNC machining to make geometry itself part of both the product's performance and its appearance.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of use

Noun

Barely out of her teens, the Black and Anishinaabe sculptor had already weathered racial prejudice, false accusations and the abrupt end of her education at Oberlin College.

— Andrew Alexander, AJC.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Factors affecting the intensity of racial profiling The forcefulness of police prejudice against minority groups depends on historical and social circumstances.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of prejudice

Verb

Second, the countries involved in imbalanced trade can take action to push adjustment costs onto others, but their success depends largely on economic power and their ability to wield it.

— MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
The nearly two-minute spot depicts a club-wielding bureaucrat chasing and tripping a child on a bike and another stealing a boy’s scooter.

— Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of wield

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plutonian

ply

plying

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“Ply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ply. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ply

noun

verb (1)

verb (2)

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