planning

verb

Definition of planningnext
present participle of plan
1
as in preparing
to work out the details of (something) in advance we planned the school dance down to the smallest detail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in intending
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

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 planning Tom Burwell, Sunderland’s chief executive, is alongside Ghisolfi in planning the next steps. — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 22 July 2026 Pimpton was initially planning to enter the portal, but opted to return to Fort Worth for another year. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2026 Each host nation has invested years in planning stadium upgrades, transportation infrastructure and security operations based on FIFA’s existing tournament demands. — Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Two of our children are planning a European vacation with their families. — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 21 July 2026 As a next step, the team is now planning to search for other binary supernova remnants. — Damien Pine, Scientific American, 21 July 2026 Spain, Greece and Denmark are also planning to impose minimum age limits for social media use. — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 21 July 2026 Documents said that same day, someone from the foster home told the original Pembroke Pines Police Department investigating officer Goldbourne was planning to come back and meet with another underage girl. — Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026 Advertisement The report contains clues about how Mozilla might be planning to sustain itself if the revenue streams from Firefox dry up. — Billy Perrigo, Time, 14 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for planning
  1. preparing
  2. intending
  3. designing
  4. contemplating
  5. organizing
  6. going
  7. arranging
  8. aiming
Verb
  • Although the storefront marks a significant milestone, Thomas says the business has always been about preparing his daughters for the future rather than simply increasing sales.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026
  • In May, a juvenile court in Berlin convicted Ballout of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state, as well as publishing Islamic State propaganda on his Instagram account and other charges, prosecutors said.
    — Geir Moulson, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
Definition of preparing
Verb
  • Another resident spoke of downloading a smartphone app to track decibel levels throughout the day, intending to document the noise of the coaster screams and report any violations.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
  • Skyfall plans to acquire a small B2B SaaS or e-commerce company for up to $1 million, intending to run it almost entirely with AI.
    — Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of intending
Verb
  • The next few years will show whether the space industry really leaves disposable satellites behind and starts building them to be caught and repaired, or simply gets neater about throwing them away, designing them to burn up on the way down.
    — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
  • Lotus Sport even helped win an Olympic gold medal for Great Britain, designing the radical carbon-fiber bicycle that Chris Boardman pedaled to victory in 1992.
    — Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 22 July 2026
Definition of designing
Verb
  • Leaders do not have the luxury of sitting in the corner contemplating their feelings or hoping someone will stroke their egos.
    — Chris Adams, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • After spending the dramatic hour contemplating a promotion — one that would take him away from his ship and his crew — Captain Pike relays his final decision.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 July 2026
Definition of contemplating
Verb
  • The director of the 2028 iteration of the Aichi Triennale, one of the largest international art festivals in Japan, will be Shabbir Hussain Mustafa, the event’s organizing committee announced on Friday.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 24 July 2026
  • In April, Ukraine imposed sanctions on five Russian cultural figures involved in organizing the country’s contribution.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of organizing
Verb
  • That just keeps the question going, because the movie at its core is a question for the audience, less than an answer.
    — William Earl, Variety, 24 July 2026
  • The second apron, a payroll threshold far above the luxury tax, has garnered the attention of the basketball world since its inception in 2023 because of the strategic repercussions that come with going above it.
    — Fred Katz, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of going
Verb
  • In an Instagram Story shared on her official page, the Duchess of Sussex could be seen slicing strawberries into heart shapes and arranging them on a red swirl bagel with a pink spread.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
  • Hamilton devoted herself to making sense of the stories, arranging them in some kind of order and sequence, ironing out contradictions.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
Definition of arranging
Verb
  • The team has to be good by 2027-28 The Rangers are aiming for the playoffs this coming season, which feels like a reasonable goal.
    — Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Qolab replaces traditional Josephson junction fabrication with precision subtractive etching, aiming to improve qubit coherence and manufacturing consistency.
    — Paul Smith-Goodson, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of aiming

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Cite this Entry

“Planning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/planning. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on planning

Nglish: Translation of planning for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about planning

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