Synonyms of project

project 1 of 2

noun

ˈprä-ˌjekt 

as in plan

a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective

an ambitious project to develop the city's waterfront

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plan
• blueprint
• strategy
• program
• design
• scheme
• system
• proposal
• arrangement
• master plan
• game plan
• game
• idea
• road map
• ground plan
• way
• recipe
• procedure
• intention
• technique
• plot
• purpose
• intent
• device
• conspiracy
• gambit
• aim
• maneuver
• policy
• ruse
• collusion
• stratagem
• conception
• map
• means
• tactic
• subterfuge
• protocol
• projet
• trick
• platform
• setup
• layout
• contrivance
• diagram
• pattern
• formula
• counterplan
• counterstrategy
• specific(s)
• specification(s)

project

2 of 2

verb

prə-ˈjekt 

1

as in to protrude

to extend outward beyond a usual point

some boulders projected dangerously out above the trail

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protrude
• poke
• stand out
• bulge
• stick out
• swell
• bunch
• start
• pouch
• balloon
• overhang
• beetle
• jut
• dome
• pout
• bag
• pooch
• billow
• extend
• belly
• stretch
• lengthen
• expand
• mushroom
• snowball
• blow up
• inflate
• dilate
• elongate
• distend

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• contract
• shrink
• compress
• condense
• constrict

2

as in to plan

to work out the details of (something) in advance

we must project next year's budget now

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plan
• design
• prepare
• organize
• budget
• plot
• arrange
• chart
• calculate
• blueprint
• outline
• devise
• shape
• scheme (out)
• map (out)
• draft
• choreograph
• frame
• lay out
• strategize (about)
• sketch
• concert
• intend
• figure
• contemplate
• get up
• aim
• conspire
• contrive
• have on
• intrigue
• mean
• machinate
• put up
• meditate
• premeditate

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun project contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of project are design, plan, plot, and scheme. While all these words mean "a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end," project often stresses imaginative scope and vision.

a project to develop the waterfront

When would design be a good substitute for project?

Although the words design and project have much in common, design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony.

a design for a new dress

In what contexts can plan take the place of project?

The synonyms plan and project are sometimes interchangeable, but plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation.

plans for a house

When is plot a more appropriate choice than project?

The words plot and project are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions.

the plot of the play

When might scheme be a better fit than project?

In some situations, the words scheme and project are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Recent Examples of project

Noun

Voters approved the airport terminal replacement project in 2016. — Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

The project was slated for a 2027 completion, and would also include ground-floor retail, a rooftop swimming pool and a fitness center, and 100,000 square feet of amenities. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 July 2026

Verb

The broader layoffs at Microsoft, meanwhile, come as the tech giant is projected to spend $190 billion on capital expenditures in 2026—a 61% increase over last year—but hasn’t yet seen enough of its software customers also buying its AI products. — John Kell, Fortune, 8 July 2026

LinkedIn projects that 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change by 2030. — Michelle O'Connor, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026