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as in property
a small piece of land that is developed or available for development subdivided the old farm into plots for tract houses

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in story
the unfolding of events in a dramatic or literary work wrote novels in which the plot was always subordinate to the characterizations

Synonyms & Similar Words

plot

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun plot differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of plot are cabal, conspiracy, intrigue, and machination. While all these words mean "a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end," plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme.

an assassination plot

When might cabal be a better fit than plot?

The synonyms cabal and plot are sometimes interchangeable, but cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence.

a cabal among powerful senators

In what contexts can conspiracy take the place of plot?

While in some cases nearly identical to plot, conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery.

a conspiracy to fix prices

When is intrigue a more appropriate choice than plot?

The words intrigue and plot are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity.

backstairs intrigue

When could machination be used to replace plot?

Although the words machination and plot have much in common, machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means.

the machinations of a party boss

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 plot
Noun
By the halfway point, when the vampy, non-comic villainess Spider Lady (Carol Forman) takes over the narrative, the plot gets repetitive and the temptation to skip over the next few Saturday screenings becomes overpowering. Rory Doherty, Vulture, 11 July 2025 As the group gears up to complete its final challenge, a new plot is hatched by a demon named Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop), who creates a rival group called The Saja Boys to harness energy from fans and weaken the barriers between the worlds. Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC news, 10 July 2025
Verb
The slope of genius The EEG signal in the human brain consists of low and high frequencies that can be plotted on a spectral slope. ArsTechnica, 6 July 2025 For instance, a trader can ask the tool to plot the relationship between the weather and the propane stocks on the East Coast of the United States. Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for plot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plot
Noun
  • The scheme requires drivers to pay a fee—based on the time and duration of their visit and their vehicle type—to enter the lower part of Manhattan, from the southern end of Central Park to the city’s financial district.
    Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
  • Singer took in more than $25 million from his clients as part of the scheme, paid bribes totaling more than $7 million and used more than $15 million for his own benefit, according to prosecutors.
    Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • Baseball’s technical folks put three-dimensional images on the Truist Park field of the Los Angeles Dodgers players at their positions from that night of April 8, 1974 at old Atlanta Fulton County Stadium.
    Terence Moore, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • Today, descendants of these Austin projects stand alongside AMD, Samsung, Oracle, Apple, Meta, Google, Intel, Amazon, Silicon Labs, Microsoft, Tesla, SpaceX and other giants in the field.
    Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • Sanchez-Gomez, the litigation director for the Giffords Law Center, said property owners have always had the ability to restrict weapons.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 19 July 2025
  • Although foreign property ownership is legal in most of the countries on this list, the buying process can present all kinds of complications and costs.
    William P. Barrett, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Noun
  • His story hit just as Pastel QAnon — a softer, Instagram-friendly offshoot of the movement — was flourishing.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2025
  • The extensive new detention policy is also expected to face legal challenges This is a developing story.
    Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • In November, Vaillant was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4.
    Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 24 July 2025
  • Kingston will receive his sentence on Aug. 28, just under five months after he and his 63-year-old mother were found guilty of four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
    Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • The hospital also had a failing score for urinary tract infections from catheters.
    Scott Schwebke, Oc Register, 12 July 2025
  • That could negate the need for costly and invasive methods of GI tract investigation – like endoscopy and computerized tomography (CT) – that can only be used in hospitals.
    Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2025
  • The Trump administration launched an investigation into pharmaceutical imports in mid-April, setting the stage to impose tariffs on national security grounds.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • One of the most prolific homebuilders in Central Florida wants to transform a series of vacant parcels in north Apopka into a massive development called Paulucci Acres, which would consist of over 1,000 homes and townhomes.
    Tyler Williams, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 July 2025
  • The purchase included six parcels, and Katofsky pledged to turn them into a year-round high-end resort in three to four years.
    Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 18 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plot. Accessed 27 Jul. 2025.

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