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plan

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun plan contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plan are design, plot, project, and scheme. While all these words mean "a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end," plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation.

plans for a house

When is design a more appropriate choice than plan?

While in some cases nearly identical to plan, design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony.

a design for a new dress

When could plot be used to replace plan?

While the synonyms plot and plan are close in meaning, plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions.

the plot of the play

When is it sensible to use project instead of plan?

In some situations, the words project and plan are roughly equivalent. However, project often stresses imaginative scope and vision.

a project to develop the waterfront

Where would scheme be a reasonable alternative to plan?

The synonyms scheme and plan are sometimes interchangeable, but scheme stresses calculation of the end in view and may apply to a plan motivated by craftiness and self-interest.

a scheme to defraud the government

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 plan
Noun
Minnesota Vikings - Malaki Starks, S, Georgia The Vikings need a backup plan for Harrison Smith at safety. Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025 The split plan, which was roundly criticized by residents, was ultimately called off on March 14. Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
The flurry of activity in the case included an emergency hearing Friday evening before US District Judge James Boasberg in Washington, where a Justice Department lawyer said no deportation flights are planned for that night or Saturday. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025 The vice president met with U.S. Embassy staff and planned to meet with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who just returned to Italy from Washington. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plan
Noun
  • However, Keena said that strategy may not be as effective this time around.
    Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Outpacing services and community expectations while chasing tax dollars is not a long-term winning strategy.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The key to success is finding the best glycolic acid formula for your skin’s needs and goals, which includes figuring out the right format and concentration of acid.
    Emily Orofino, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2025
  • With 16 goals and five assists in 32 games, Bryan Mbeumo might already be in your ‘joy to watch’ list.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • What To Know Zelensky Issues World War 3 Warning to Donald Trump A senior British government source also told The Times newspaper of London in March that the West intends to deploy more than 10,000 troops in Ukraine to monitor a possible ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • How did the water tower come down? Crews had intended for the water tower, built in 1913 at 524 S. Osage St., to fall into an open plot of grass to the north, but the first attempt failed.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Brookings Institution, a centrist think tank, has presented its own bipartisan blueprint for making the system solvent.
    Dennis W. Jansen, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The April 9 Executive Order The April 9 Executive Order goes far beyond non-binding DOJ Task Force advocacy, by creating a blueprint for direct government action against anticompetitive rules.
    Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The name’s ironic on purpose—the app allows users to create, send, and receive anonymous voice messages in a celebrity’s tone.
    Alexandra York, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Each edge of this triangle-esque tool serves a unique purpose: a smooth, long side for sweeping over wider areas like calves, arms, and thighs; a precision tip for targeted acupressure; and a ridged edge for digging into tense tissue.
    Allure, Allure, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Photograph: Output Along with new AR/VR and mixed-reality applications, HDMI 2.2’s advanced bandwidth is designed to enhance commercial technologies like medical imaging, and potentially even next-gen movie, game, and TV production.
    Ryan Waniata, Wired News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Known for: Its minimalist Scandinavian design aesthetic that is designed to transcend seasonal trends.
    Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • While contemplating his former love and his future as a father, Massey conjures up the apparition of his beloved Catherine.
    Claire Franken, TVLine, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Boasberg has been contemplating whether to hold any administration officials in contempt of court for ignoring his orders last month to turn around planes that were carrying the deportees to El Salvador.
    Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The pope and Vatican officials have criticised several of the policies of President Donald Trump's administration, including his plans to deport millions of migrants from the U.S. and his widespread cuts to foreign aid and domestic welfare programs.
    Joshua McElwee, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Between 2021 and 2023, the state’s vacation buyback program paid employees $288 million for unused hours.
    Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plan. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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