1
as in schemes
a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends
the Secret Service uncovered just in time a plot to assassinate the President
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in properties
a small piece of land that is developed or available for development
subdivided the old farm into plots for tract houses
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in plans
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
mobsters were caught plotting to take over the company
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 plots
Karla Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Mar. 2026
These plots require communication among Iranian handlers and those tasked with gathering weapons, selecting targets, and devising operational plans.
—Colin P. Clarke, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
In the last two months of 2024, which included the Abundant Life Christian School shooting, three other school shooting plots happened in Wisconsin, according to data from the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention dashboard.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Israeli leaders may be well protected from Iranian nationalist plots.
—Robert A. Pape In The Los Angeles Times, Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026
Within the 46 distinct plots there is a wide variety of soil types, so grapes from each plot are vinified separately and then blended into the final Finca Piedra Infinita Malbec.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 2 Mar. 2026
The bulletin warned that terror plots weren’t the only concern.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
The long-serving cleric has survived decades of internal unrest, assassination plots and foreign pressure.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 28 Feb. 2026
But Ha’s character, Kwan, was invented for the series, and the game’s intense fandom resented the attempt to insert new side plots into the main narrative.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Mary Beth Skylis, Outside, 26 Feb. 2026
Various accusations were leveled against the owners of both groups during the course of the hearing, with two operators of Cesar Rainey Street being implicated in drug trafficking and arson plots separately.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for.
—Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Feb. 2026
Goldman Sachs here plots the relative valuation of asset-light over asset-heavy companies, compressing toward zero.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
For cyclists, the Coastal Bike Trail plots out a route to see the city and the harbor on two wheels.
—Carolyn Heller, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The teacher then plots revenge by secretly staging the most wildly inappropriate musical imaginable to sabotage the principal’s bid for academic glory.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
Early episodes deploy standard teen drama plots like a prank war (against a competing academy) and a party night (with the same competing academy).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2026
Thus begins a thorny relationship in which Jules plots vengeance, though their dynamic soon takes a fascinating turn.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
Noun
Now a private chef whose social media posts are devoured by more than 1 million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok, Meehan grew up in Santa Cruz, California, in a home surrounded by wild blackberry bushes and a backyard peppered with peach trees and vegetable plots.
—Karla Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Mar. 2026
These plots require communication among Iranian handlers and those tasked with gathering weapons, selecting targets, and devising operational plans.
—Colin P. Clarke, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
In the last two months of 2024, which included the Abundant Life Christian School shooting, three other school shooting plots happened in Wisconsin, according to data from the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention dashboard.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Israeli leaders may be well protected from Iranian nationalist plots.
—Robert A. Pape In The Los Angeles Times, Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026
Within the 46 distinct plots there is a wide variety of soil types, so grapes from each plot are vinified separately and then blended into the final Finca Piedra Infinita Malbec.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 2 Mar. 2026
The bulletin warned that terror plots weren’t the only concern.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
The long-serving cleric has survived decades of internal unrest, assassination plots and foreign pressure.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 28 Feb. 2026
But Ha’s character, Kwan, was invented for the series, and the game’s intense fandom resented the attempt to insert new side plots into the main narrative.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
In 1893, Scottish-Canadian author, Robert Barr, wrote a short story about an unhappy married couple that was vacationing in the Swiss Alps when the husband plots to push his wife off of a cliff.
—Mary Beth Skylis, Outside, 26 Feb. 2026
Various accusations were leveled against the owners of both groups during the course of the hearing, with two operators of Cesar Rainey Street being implicated in drug trafficking and arson plots separately.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for.
—Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Feb. 2026
Goldman Sachs here plots the relative valuation of asset-light over asset-heavy companies, compressing toward zero.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
For cyclists, the Coastal Bike Trail plots out a route to see the city and the harbor on two wheels.
—Carolyn Heller, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The teacher then plots revenge by secretly staging the most wildly inappropriate musical imaginable to sabotage the principal’s bid for academic glory.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
Early episodes deploy standard teen drama plots like a prank war (against a competing academy) and a party night (with the same competing academy).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2026
Thus begins a thorny relationship in which Jules plots vengeance, though their dynamic soon takes a fascinating turn.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plots
Noun
-
How pump-and-dump schemes work From the Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange, the FBI says pump-and-dump complaints have jumped 330% over the last year.—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The last year has seen several high-profile athletes and coaches charged by the Justice Department in sports betting and related gambling schemes.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, saw more of its fields under attack over the weekend.—
Christine Burke,
Bloomberg,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Our college students will not have the opportunity to be taught by the best and brightest in some very important and sophisticated fields.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Experts interviewed by Xinhua also suggested that the material could extend beyond drones to small-satellite structural components and lightweight spacecraft shells due to its strength, stiffness, and vibration-reduction properties.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Six months after a California wildfire destroyed dozens of homes in the Tuolumne County community of Chinese Camp, officials say debris removal is now complete and properties are being returned to their owners.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Most players, these days, share those stories on podcasts.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The island is famously low-key, thanks in part to an ordinance that restricts buildings over three stories, keeping high-rises and big resort brands off the sand.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Kennedy has made no bones about his misplaced skepticism of mRNA vaccines, pinging off the proliferating conspiracies around the COVID vaccines — incredible innovations that saved countless lives during one of the worst global catastrophes in recent memory.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Of course, complicated government conspiracies, betrayals and high-tech weaponry abound.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After city leaders objected to the initial results of last year’s census, the task force acknowledged some census tracts were outside city limits; some areas were in unincorperated El Cajon.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The project, known as Golden Range at Lookout Mountain, would develop one of the largest undeveloped tracts remaining in the city.—
Jamie Leary,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The research focused on helping Valkyrie adapt to changing conditions, traverse uneven terrain, and quickly connect visual information with physical actions for real-world robotic operations.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
And also for Iran itself, where the regime is apparently still in charge of the armed forces even with the successful actions by the Israelis and the Americans.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
One thing to keep in mind is that the deterrent effect of coffee grounds may be more temporary than other methods.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The tournament even promotes itself with that slogan, including an imposing overhead sign in the center of the venue grounds.—
Douglas Robson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plots. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
