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
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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
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Recent Examples of planning
Activist groups are planning a protest in downtown Fort Worth on Saturday over the death of a Minnesota woman shot by an immigration agent.
—
Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2026
Miista is also planning on a permanent retail expansion in Los Angeles.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 9 Jan. 2026
The next year, eleven journalists went on to form the White House Correspondents’ Association in response to rumors that the Congressional Standing Committee of Correspondents was planning on selecting which reporters were invited to presidential news conferences.
—JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2025
They had been alerted that Running Fence was planning to enter the ocean despite having no permit.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for planning
Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2026
Miista is also planning on a permanent retail expansion in Los Angeles.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 9 Jan. 2026
The next year, eleven journalists went on to form the White House Correspondents’ Association in response to rumors that the Congressional Standing Committee of Correspondents was planning on selecting which reporters were invited to presidential news conferences.
—JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2025
They had been alerted that Running Fence was planning to enter the ocean despite having no permit.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for planning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for planning
Verb
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The Packers are preparing for a wild-card game Saturday night in Chicago.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Listen to Glaser discuss preparing to host the 2026 Golden Globes on Ripa's podcast episode above.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mere weeks after an armed man came to our ER intending to shoot people, hospital leaders refused to negotiate improvements in workplace safety.—
Donovan Carey,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
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Prosecutors said the group members planned to target agents with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, intending to harm them with pipe bombs.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Craig had to have his key staff lined up by May 1, some 5,000 library books ordered by July 1, not to mention getting a faculty for 500 students, designing a curriculum, selecting and ordering texts, even down to designing application forms, catalogs, etc.—
Roger Simmons,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
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Majestic Labs is designing an AI system for inference with 128 terabytes of memory, or about 100 times more memory than some current AI systems, Rabii said, adding that the company plans to eschew HBM memory for lower-cost options.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Still, at least some are already contemplating a return to their homeland.—
Natalia Jaramillo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Jan. 2026
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After months of rumors about the downtown location, in January the company confirmed plans to shut down its stores in DOCO and the Sunrise Mall — the struggling retail center in Citrus Heights where city officials are contemplating eminent domain.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Want more cleaning and organizing tips?—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
12 Jan. 2026
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There is so much energy in Falk’s writing that the reader can feel tensions in the city as officials, some working secretly with the bosses, try to stop the cigar factory women from organizing, call them Communists and demean them for being Polish.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But the actor didn't think the story of his character on all five of the Netflix series' seasons, Will Byers, and Will's longtime friend, Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), had been fully wrapped up going into the final episode.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
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Young was remarkably efficient, throwing three TD passes of 30-plus yards and going 15-for-20 for 206 yards.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Resist the Temptation to Dig In The hardest part of building a charcuterie board is avoiding the temptation to start snacking as soon as you’re done arranging the board.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2026
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As a newcomer to composing and arranging for strings, Simon benefitted greatly by working with a group readily available for consultation and collaboration.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pine works swiftly to gather information on Roper's deal and even forms an alliance with his boss's girlfriend Jed (Elizabeth Debicki) who is plotting her own escape.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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But Izzy Johnston is plotting a way for her Warriors to rise above all those squads.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Planning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/planning. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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