PLAN Synonyms: 130 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

plan 1 of 2

noun

ˈplan

Definition of plan

as in strategy

a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective there is a contingency plan in the office for handling almost any emergency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in goal

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish our plan is to finish up by next Friday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

plan

2 of 2

verb

as in to prepare

to work out the details of (something) in advance we planned the school dance down to the smallest detail

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to intend

to have in mind as a purpose or goal I plan to have a party for my birthday, even if I have to throw it myself

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Trumbull, too, is defending a lawsuit by the company after rejecting plans for two five-story buildings with 150 units. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026 Back in 1980, there were a few subdivisions started in Fox Valley Villages but there were major plans for many more homes, the release said. — Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Verb

Meanwhile, all 15,000 units planned for those earning between 60% and 80% of area median income were built. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026 Even before the war, there were signs that the Saudi tourism project wasn’t going as planned. — Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plan

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plan

Noun

Gabby Giffords herself is another key part of the campaign strategy.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2026
His intelligence and technical ability were a perfect match for Bielsa’s high-risk, high-line strategy.

— Amitai Winehouse, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of strategy

Noun

Drake Maye's deep shot intended for Romeo Doubs near the goal-line was broken up by safety Rodney Thomas II, and the carom was eventually intercepted by Nehemiah Pritchett.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
This pattern is likely to continue away to Manchester United in the third round of the Carabao Cup next week — Steele kept goal at Old Trafford for a 2-1 win in the third round of the FA Cup in January.

— Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of goal

Verb

The facility will subsequently support the F135 fleet throughout the F-35’s service life in Finland, with Patria preparing to adapt the production line for Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) activities.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
At the team’s early-morning practices, many players flip between offense and defense to prepare for any situation, especially when there are even a few injuries.

— Jesse Dougherty, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of prepare

Verb

Programs such as HyCAT are intended to provide more frequent opportunities to test technologies in realistic flight conditions, potentially allowing developers to identify problems earlier and iterate more quickly.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
The Indian government said the decision was intended to bolster domestic availability amid lower production, seasonal demand and rising prices.

— Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of intend

Noun

The genes serve as blueprints for making proteins that drive brain development, but researchers lacked visibility into how those proteins do the work.

— Pien Huang, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
Four reactors, one blueprint The choice of four units is central to the plan.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of blueprint

Noun

Around for decades, red-light therapy has traditionally been used to treat chronic muscle and joint pain and various injuries, and has shown cosmetic benefits for skin and facial care, purposes for which it’s cleared by the FDA.

— Mirin Fader, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
One of the Constitution’s founding purposes was to prevent change.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of purpose

Verb

The House will vote on a bipartisan bill on Tuesday designed to get tech companies to pay for the infrastructure and energy required to construct data centers.

— Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2026
The company says its organic chemistry is designed to replace scarce and corrosive materials used in some flow battery systems.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2026

Definition of design

Verb

Pegula advanced to face Sorana Cirstea, the 36-year-old from Romania who is contemplating retirement after this season.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Moreno, who in 2003 became baseball’s first Latino owner, was still contemplating a potential exit strategy, according to new club president Molly Jolly.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of contemplate

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plaits

plan

plane

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Style

“Plan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plan. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of plan

noun

verb

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Synonyms of plan

noun

verb

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Example Sentences

Phrases Containing plan

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Cite this Entry

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