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plan

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verb

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
Republican leaders say these criticisms are wrong and that the GOP plan will boost the economy and cut spending. Brittney Melton, NPR, 5 June 2025 The announcement of Glastonbury’s final lineup also coincides with the BBC’s plans to air artists’ sets, with the broadcaster telling British publication The i Paper that Kneecap’s performance will be included as part of their coverage. Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 5 June 2025
Verb
Matson's father and stepmother aren't planning on attending the ceremony. David Oliver, USA Today, 6 June 2025 One group — which registered itself as the Maryland Environment, Labor and Industry Coalition — planned to challenge the Next Generation Energy Act, and focus its campaign on trash incinerators, which will no longer receive a renewable energy subsidy under the law. Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for plan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plan
Noun
  • What happens next? Kennedy has stated that a follow-up report outlining a strategy and potential policy reforms for addressing childhood chronic illness will be released in mid-August 2025.
    Paul Dawson, The Conversation, 26 May 2025
  • Mosier works with the university on social media strategy, and recently decided to bring her superstar pug to the school's campus for a visit.
    Kelli Bender, People.com, 26 May 2025
Noun
  • But Bennett’s goal would not keep the Panthers ahead for long.
    Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 7 June 2025
  • There is not any goal that can justify continuing the military operation at the risk of losing the hostages, at the risk of losing the lives of Israeli soldiers, and the risk of losing the lives of many of the non-involved people in Gaza.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Some observers insist Moscow could be prepared to launch more limited assaults on NATO soil as little as six months after the end of the war in Ukraine.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
  • The best way to protect against unhealthy messages about masculinity is for parents to be prepared with a counter narrative for their family.
    Ashleigh N. DeLuca, Parents, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • The move was intended to boost subscriptions to then-fledgling HBO Max.
    Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2025
  • Going forward, the owners intend to integrate Vinyl Me, Please with its VinylBox and VNYL brands as a sister operation specializing in premium audio.
    Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • Unlike the standard black or navy suits that carry you through most of the year, summer tailoring doesn’t follow a strict blueprint.
    Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
  • Her style has long been the blueprint for the L.A.-girl uniform: Minimal separates, monochrome tailoring, and Pilates Princess ’fits.
    Olivia Allen, Vogue, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • This was still wild country, and Fuller set off with the express purpose of producing a book about her journey.
    James Marcus, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
  • These rituals included a physical action, an emotional expression and a shared sense of purpose.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Neutra designed this 750 square-foot artist’s residence in Silicon Valley in 1935 as a creative retreat for poet Jacqueline Johnson.
    Kristine Hansen, Architectural Digest, 30 May 2025
  • Accommodations range from double-occupancy Mountain King and Bunk Rooms to connecting suites designed for families and groups, each with modern features such as workspaces, mini fridges, and wool camp blankets.
    Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • Instead of a revolution, this new approach contemplated a middle way between capitalism and socialism, one premised on a cooperative relationship between workers and management.
    Time, Time, 29 May 2025
  • Though the film doesn’t provide a satisfactory resolution to these threads, the time the audience spends contemplating them is mostly enjoyable.
    Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 28 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plan. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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