scheme
noun
\
Definition of scheme
(Entry 1 of 2)
b archaic
scheme
verbDefinition of scheme (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms for scheme
Synonyms: Noun
artifice, device, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack, play, ploy, ruse, shenanigan, sleight, stratagem, trick, wile
Synonyms: Verb
collude, compass, connive, conspire, contrive, intrigue, machinate, plot, put up
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Examples of scheme in a Sentence
Noun
a scheme to cheat people out of their money The company has a new scheme for insurance coverage. a scheme to improve the economy the color scheme of a roomVerb
He felt that the other men were scheming against him. He was betrayed by a scheming friend.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Huffman was one of 33 parents charged in March in a sweeping investigation into Singer’s scheme. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, "Felicity Huffman gets 14 days in prison in college admissions scandal," 13 Sep. 2019 Such reporting helps everyone by highlighting scammers and their schemes. — Marshall Allen, ProPublica, "How to Make Health Insurers Take Fraud Seriously," 10 Sep. 2019 Shifting to Scangarello’s zone-blocking run scheme. — Kyle Fredrickson, The Denver Post, "How Broncos’ Phillip Lindsay can grow after breakout rookie season: “My mindset is grind”," 9 Sep. 2019 Just look at the pharmaceutical industry and the opioid crisis or Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme or Enron’s accounting fraud. — Debra Borchardt, chicagotribune.com, "Top 5 cannabis industry scandals," 6 Sep. 2019 Marked with a prominently black-and-white color scheme, the home boasts pops of muted grays, pinks and blues, and touches of organic and natural elements. — Molly Guthrey, Twin Cities, "‘HGTV Urban Oasis 2019’ is a Minneapolis house — and they’re giving it away," 4 Sep. 2019 On this week’s episode, Beth Ann (Ginnifer Goodwin) comes up with a scheme to keep Rob (Sam Jaeger) away from April (Sadie Calvano) but ends up growing closer to her husband’s mistress in the process, according to the show’s logline. — Natalie Stone, PEOPLE.com, "DWTS' Peta Murgatroyd and Maks Chmerkovskiy Reunite for Red-Hot Tango on Why Women Kill," 30 Aug. 2019 But then the Bucs hired a new coaching staff with a new defensive scheme. — Rick Stroud, orlandosentinel.com, "DB Evans trying to adjust to new approach," 28 Aug. 2019 Even by those standards, his latest scheme is remarkably gauche. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Trump’s Latest Get-Rich-Quick Scheme," 26 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Created by Jesse Armstrong, Succession centers on domineering patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox), founder of the Waystar Royco media conglomerate, and his scheming children. — Hugh Hart, Fortune, "An Inside Look at ‘Succession’s’ Corporate Melodrama With Adam McKay and Kieran Culkin," 8 Sep. 2019 Just like in real world politics, scheming between organizations becomes rampant and at times impossible to avoid. — Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, "Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering game that puts the fun in undermining democracy," 19 Aug. 2019 There is no scheming antihero, no overwhelming societal obstacle. — Travis Deshong, Twin Cities, "Watch: See Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers in trailer for ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’," 23 July 2019 Due to all the pool flirting, drink spilling, and scheming, Danny missed seven calls from someone. — Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, "A Guide To Grand Hotel's Many Wild, Sexy, Muder-y Mysteries," 18 June 2019 Seg’s scheming fiance Nyssa-Vex (Wallis Day) is downscaled as well — her political maneuvering was a highlight of season 1, but her skills seem to have nearly disappeared as her priorities have narrowed to protecting her infant son. — Samantha Nelson, The Verge, "In season 2, Krypton keeps viewers guessing," 12 June 2019 Its four heroines are lifelong friends, usually broke, but scraping by on luck, scheming and a little bit of honest work. — Los Angeles Times, "‘Florida Man’ is so over. On TV, Florida women are having their day," 23 Aug. 2019 Twenty years ago Microsoft was considered an evil empire, scheming for domination and embroiled in a bruising antitrust battle with America’s Justice Department. — The Economist, "What Microsoft’s revival can teach other tech companies," 25 July 2019 An Ohio pharmaceutical distributor has been accused in a criminal indictment of scheming to flood parts of rural Appalachia with millions of painkillers, contributing to the opioid epidemic. — Fox News, "Ohio pharmaceutical distributor accused of flooding Appalachia with opioids," 21 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scheme.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The Good, The Bad, & The...
The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 11/2
The words that defined the week of November 2nd, 2018
Dictionary Entries near scheme
Statistics for scheme
Last Updated
17 Sep 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for scheme
The first known use of scheme was circa 1595
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More Definitions for scheme
scheme
noun
English Language Learners Definition of scheme
(Entry 1 of 2)
scheme
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of scheme (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for scheme in the English Language Learners Dictionary
scheme
noun
\
Kids Definition of scheme
(Entry 1 of 2)
scheme
verbKids Definition of scheme (Entry 2 of 2)
scheme
noun
\
Medical Definition of scheme
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scheme
nounLegal Definition of scheme
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