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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On Sunday, there’s a World Cup debutant taking on a powerhouse, two dark horses meeting in Texas, and two matchups that have plenty of intrigue despite flying under the radar a little bit.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Palace intrigue was at an all-time high.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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An engineer plots a well’s falling output, fits a curve, and projects it forward.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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Prosecutors accused Yoon of attempting to create a crisis with North Korea while plotting an authoritarian power grab aimed at removing political opponents and consolidating control.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
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All of these machinations have been so alive in my head for so long.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
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This data center above the Arctic Circle is partially a product of machinations in Silicon Valley and Washington.—
Story
by
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Lesley Manville plays the scheming Marquise de Merteuil.—
Anna Russell,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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Spaeny and Melton were cast as Ashley and Austin, a Gen-Z couple working at a Montecito country club, dreaming and scheming toward upward mobility, a good 18 months before filming began in early 2025.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Jakirovic was speaking before the EFL’s independent commission came down heavy on Southampton’s subterfuge.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
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Skip the subterfuge as the sun and Mercury harmonize.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Many factors likely conspired to preserve the bones for millions of years, according to the study authors.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
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While judges weighed the motions filed by the journalists and the SPLC, a similar request succeeded in the case of the Broadview Six, a group of anti-ICE protesters whom DOJ had charged with conspiring to block access to a Chicago-area immigration detention facility.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Initial crowds were eager to watch the twisty conspiracy thriller on the biggest and brightest screens, with premium large formats representing a mighty 48% of grosses.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
14 June 2026
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And in a political climate where unsupported conspiracies about election fraud can run rampant on social media — pushed, at times, by top political leaders — some fear the slow vote count is becoming a liability.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The ice bucket set-up for their initial confrontation felt contrived and Vida and Dodie’s dramatic actions involving their hotel room door felt out of character.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
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Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Prosecutors with the First Judicial District Attorney's Office claim Heskett contrived a story that he had been attacked by a man near a trail in the state park.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterplot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterplot. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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