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 The president is planning to take the stage both nights of the convention, giving a keynote address Wednesday and then closing remarks after Vice President JD Vance gives his own speech the following night. — Will Weissert, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026 Louisiana site moves forward The company is also planning a technology-neutral screening of available small modular reactor designs. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026 The impact is also visible among high school students planning their next steps. — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026 Success often depended less on luck than on planning ahead, and that lesson still applies. — Elaine Reno, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026 After years of planning sailings for clients (and taking plenty herself), Eccles has seen the packing mistakes that trip up even experienced cruisers. — Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2026 According to Hollywood insider Rob Shuter, Harry is planning a project to mark the 30th anniversary of his mother’s death next year. — Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 7 Sep. 2026 Scenario planning moves from an annual event to a quarterly discipline. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 People planning beach trips should go to one where lifeguards are on duty, the weather service said, as large waves and strong rip currents are likely. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for planning
  1. preparing
  2. intending
  3. designing
  4. contemplating
  5. organizing
  6. going
  7. arranging
  8. aiming
Verb
  • There was nothing fluky about the victory Western Michigan was preparing to celebrate.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But behind the crisp white tablecloths, strict dress code and expensive steak dinners was a kitchen full of immigrant workers washing dishes, preparing food and keeping the restaurant running.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of preparing
Verb
  • Richardson’s trade request has remained intact throughout training camp and the preseason, but assistant GM Ed Dodds strongly hinted in mid-August that the Colts were intending to keep Richardson.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Developer Mikki Schuck bought the building in late 2024 intending to fully renovate the top two stories — previously offices — into luxury apartments and a restaurant once more on the ground floor.
    — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of intending
Verb
  • Broadcom has been one of the major winners of the AI boom, designing custom chips for companies including Google, Meta and OpenAI.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • For this reason, Triola’s belief that a machine’s aggregation acumen presents chefs with an innovative tool for designing recipes strikes me as misguided.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of designing
Verb
  • 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
  • In 2023, the Miami Herald reported that Díaz-Canel told a room of Cuban American businesspeople that the Cuban government was contemplating letting Cuban Americans invest in and own businesses on the island, and was working on legislation to do it.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of contemplating
Verb
  • Party discord has also been a problem as leaders like Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, have developed their own fundraising and organizing infrastructure to harness political support independent of the state party.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The intimate gathering — a salon of sorts — harkened back to Steinem’s history of organizing women like this.
    — Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of organizing
Verb
  • And in 1963, Steinem gained national attention for going undercover at one of Hugh Hefner's nightclubs.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Cristobal still preaches relentless effort, a pursuit of excellence and, of course, the team focusing on going 1-0 every week.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of going
Verb
  • The case turned into a years-long legal saga, with multiple people convicted of their roles in arranging the hit, including Wendi’s brother, Charlie Adelson, and her mother, Donna.
    — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Britain’s populist Reform UK said two senior aides to leader Nigel Farage stepped down on Friday after an undercover investigation alleged the party had broken electoral law by arranging for a foreign donor to pay for political polling.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of arranging
Verb
  • The eponymous eatery is aiming to have a more casual approach to Humm’s EMP cuisine, focused on using the highest-quality ingredients to craft its American dishes.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Both Democrats and Republicans are aiming to win the seat in their quest to control the Senate in the next Congress.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 8 Sep. 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 9 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on planning

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about planning

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