as in intrigue
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Recent Examples of counterplot
Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2019
There’s something comforting about the normalcy of plot and counterplot, action and intrigue.
—Mike Hale, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2017
Noun
Bit by bit, the castle at Elsinore (broodingly rendered by scenic designer Lee Savage) turns into a stage for life-and-death plots and counterplots.
—Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2019
There’s something comforting about the normalcy of plot and counterplot, action and intrigue.
—Mike Hale, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterplot
Noun
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Studio Gannett With its noisy buzz of titillating political intrigue, Washington, D.C., isn't known for sitting still and dishing up boring.—
Kathryn Streeter,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
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Adding another layer of intrigue, WWE Saturday Night's Main Event is internally slated for Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Atlanta.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Artillery missions had been plotted the night before.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 May 2025
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The filmmaker puts aside the self-reflexive storytelling that has marked much of his work since he was first arrested in 2010, delivering a straightforward narrative that’s plotted like a good thriller but builds into a stark condemnation of abusive power.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Thus the movie’s financial and martial machinations take place within a more elemental family drama: in order to win his daughter’s allegiance and affection, Zsa-zsa must pursue a mock-Shakespearean plot of fratricidal revenge.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2025
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But her machinations also serve as an extreme example of complicity against which Pabst’s more subtly evolving behavior can be measured.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
6 May 2025
Verb
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There’s going to be a queen in there trying to get the show director job, who will lie and scheme.—
Joey Nolfi Updated,
EW.com,
7 June 2025
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Of course, [opponents] are going to do their best to scheme it up.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2025
Noun
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The only safe refuge, 20 miles away, is the federal garrison at Harpers Ferry, but reaching it will require much subterfuge and even more luck.—
Alida Becker,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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Remember when Russia was that pesky geopolitical force who’s own constant secrecy and subterfuge brought about the downfall of its imperial ambitions?—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The men were interrogated for three weeks on suspicions that included conspiring to endanger lives on the roads; then they were put under house arrest, but finally released without charges, apparently after the withdrawal.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
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The couple were convicted of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans as well as tax evasion and sentenced to 12 and seven years, respectively.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Another alleged the fight was a conspiracy between Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, to gain footing by leveraging the pop star's high-profile.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
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Bongino updated Fox News host Sean Hannity on the investigation into the Epstein file as conspiracies continue to float that he was murdered in prison.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
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The arguments in favor of this working seem rather contrived.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
21 May 2025
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Hayek’s laissez-faire styling wasn’t contrived, either.—
Rosa Rahimi,
CNN Money,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counterplot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterplot. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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