plan 1 of 2

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
All of that happened while Governor Jeff Landry was publicly criticizing LSU athletics for everything from Kelly’s contract to plans to raise ticket prices, adding that the board would hire the next coach. Chris Vannini, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025 Later, another plan for the site was approved after a new councilmember was elected, with less units overall and less affordable housing. Kim Velsey, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
Burgio, whose agency, Blue Parallel, specializes in planning luxury trips to Brazil, often stays at the 20-room Hamares Boutique Hotel, where some villas have private pools overlooking the Atlantic. Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025 The second suspect, a 20-year-old New Jersey man who was arrested at his home, had planned to travel to Syria with the other suspect, the officials said. Mark Morales, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plan
Noun
  • Trump has confirmed what could be one of the largest mobilization strategies for the party-- a 'midterm convention' ahead of the 2026 races.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
  • This past summer, the filmmakers embarked on a cross-country tour, meeting with executives at major theater chains to screen the film and outline their marketing and self-distribution strategy.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • With their passage, Mamdani as mayor gets a boost towards his goal of building 200,000 more units of permanently affordable housing over the next 10 years.
    Kim Velsey, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2025
  • His goal over the next year is to replace 100% of the city’s buses with low-emission and zero-emission vehicles.
    Erin McMullen, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The city should immediately assemble a litigation team to prepare to fight the inevitable attempts by Trump to block their receipt of federal funds.
    Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The multi-position experience, said Craft, helped prepare Mougey for an NFL scouting-and-GM career.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • That’s a significant contrast to other parts of the Forbidden City, marked by wide open spaces intended to represent the grandeur of imperial power and territory.
    Fred He, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The country is now poised to start up a new EV incentive program that goes into effect in January 2026, and is intended to help lower- and middle-income buyers adopt zero tailpipe emission vehicles.
    Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Urban development in America has never been just about buildings, budgets, or blueprints.
    Fahad Zuberi, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
  • In a pointed reference to Cheney’s 2014 remarks on Ukraine, RT highlighted his call to bolster NATO’s presence near Russia’s borders and provide military support to Kyiv—framing it as a blueprint for escalation.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • However, this approach defeats the primary purpose of insurance, which is to protect against catastrophic costs in the event of an unexpected medical crisis.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Grief pressed in, but so did purpose.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The new pods will provide spaces for up to 88 detainees in spaces designed for eight, 10 or 12 detainees.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The team helps clients craft plans designed not only to endure but also to remain adaptable, so families won’t need to start over every time an advisor retires or a new market trend emerges.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Louise Hémon The jury would also like to acknowledge a director whose film transported us into an extreme landscape, and created an unsettling atmosphere that kept us contemplating the nature of lust, education, and violence.
    Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Deacon clatters off in his truck, leaving me to contemplate my new home.
    Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plan. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on plan

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