as in planning
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
mobsters were caught plotting to take over the company
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in calculating
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in scheming
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 plotting
James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
For almost the entire bloated two-hour run time, Black keeps his foot on the accelerator in the hope that audiences won’t notice the haphazard, barely logical plotting.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
At the start of Wayward’s finale, Abbie, Rory and Leila escape from the Tall Pines facility after weeks of planning and plotting.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
To be fair, most romance plotting is built on contrivances and guaranteed happily ever afters.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
The hyperactive plotting runs on hyperventilating prose.
—Book Marks
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
All of that plotting is happening in a separate room from the elaborate ball itself, which was filmed at boxer Evander Holyfield’s mansion in Atlanta.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
While these reflections offer some useful context to Carroll, this circuitous plotting is distracting.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2025
Like Mare, but slightly more elegant in its plotting, Task uses the detective-story format and the specificity of its rural Pennsylvania setting to explore elemental human problems.
—Judy Berman, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Just two years after Riverdale came to its dramatic conclusion, Archie Andrews is plotting his return to television screens once again — and, this time around, things are about to get a whole lot spookier.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
The company has raised some capital from the a16z speedrun accelerator program, but are early in the process of seeking investors, while also plotting how to monetize And Then.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025
In February, four Hamas members suspected of plotting attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe went on trial in Berlin in what prosecutors described as the first court case against militants of the Palestinian group in Germany.
—Pilar Arias, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Rather than risk the destruction of their village with every flood, Ruidoso’s leaders are plotting for survival.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Flacco has been at the front of the huddle and the meeting room almost exclusively since late July, and the first game of October is clearly the most important one for the Browns in further plotting their uncertain journey forward.
—Zac Jackson, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Federal officials said the gunman had been plotting his attack and knew how to locate the agents using ICE tracking apps.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
His upper half is running the play while his lower half is plotting an escape route.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The season drew heavy criticism for its glacial pace and incoherent plotting, generating more Reddit theories than actual scares and leaving viewers more haunted by what could have been.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
For almost the entire bloated two-hour run time, Black keeps his foot on the accelerator in the hope that audiences won’t notice the haphazard, barely logical plotting.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
At the start of Wayward’s finale, Abbie, Rory and Leila escape from the Tall Pines facility after weeks of planning and plotting.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
To be fair, most romance plotting is built on contrivances and guaranteed happily ever afters.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
The hyperactive plotting runs on hyperventilating prose.
—Book Marks
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
All of that plotting is happening in a separate room from the elaborate ball itself, which was filmed at boxer Evander Holyfield’s mansion in Atlanta.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
While these reflections offer some useful context to Carroll, this circuitous plotting is distracting.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2025
Like Mare, but slightly more elegant in its plotting, Task uses the detective-story format and the specificity of its rural Pennsylvania setting to explore elemental human problems.
—Judy Berman, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
Soon, Crusifino left The D'Angelo Family after being accused of plotting against the stable.
—Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Just two years after Riverdale came to its dramatic conclusion, Archie Andrews is plotting his return to television screens once again — and, this time around, things are about to get a whole lot spookier.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
The company has raised some capital from the a16z speedrun accelerator program, but are early in the process of seeking investors, while also plotting how to monetize And Then.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025
In February, four Hamas members suspected of plotting attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe went on trial in Berlin in what prosecutors described as the first court case against militants of the Palestinian group in Germany.
—Pilar Arias, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Rather than risk the destruction of their village with every flood, Ruidoso’s leaders are plotting for survival.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Flacco has been at the front of the huddle and the meeting room almost exclusively since late July, and the first game of October is clearly the most important one for the Browns in further plotting their uncertain journey forward.
—Zac Jackson, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Federal officials said the gunman had been plotting his attack and knew how to locate the agents using ICE tracking apps.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
His upper half is running the play while his lower half is plotting an escape route.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plotting
Verb
-
Adams is heavily involved in coaching the Cowboys’ line and scheming up the run game.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Game prediction Kansas City’s defense is clicking, and Steve Spanguolo is known for scheming against dynamic offenses.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Even Alex becomes too entangled in her students’ dealings and ends up suffering at the hands of one of the more calculating boys.—
Rebekah Frumkin,
Washington Post,
6 Sep. 2019
-
And experts believe that his intuitive style could throw the more calculating Caruana, who has faced time crunches already in this championship, off-balance.—
Joshua Robinson,
WSJ,
27 Nov. 2018
Noun
-
The firm’s SeaShark 600 stealth USV is designed for near-shore ISR, attack, and swarm roles.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The developers sprinkle puzzle elements into some dungeons while also adding moments where stealth is more useful and efficient than brute force.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Fast food chain Cookout is planning to open at least 19 new restaurants.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Anyone planning to bring an exotic animal into Kentucky is required to have transportation permit.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This model protects against allergens like pollen and pet dander, smoke, dust, and does it all from a place of covert, inoffensive design.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The detectives’ new case takes them to a remote Arctic research station, where a member of a covert British special forces mission has been shot dead.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Over on her own page, Deahl reshared the post to her Instagram Stories with a few sentences addressing the secrecy.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Continue reading … TRIAL TACTICS – Legal expert unpacks defense challenges, why evidence secrecy could be crucial in Charlie Kirk case.—
,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The notion of a man of Ballmer’s wealth — $153 billion; most in professional sports and top 10 on the planet — being able to procure and retain elite talent through surreptitious ways is the worst nightmare for fans of the league’s other 29 teams.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
-
When one fan posted a surreptitious photo of Sudeikis and Hunt hanging out at a bar, commenters warned them to not share the location.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
What’s being communicated in this clandestine network of underground messaging?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
-
There’s a lead character’s creeping paranoia, a plot driven by nefarious and clandestine powers that be, the encroachment of the past on the present.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plotting. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share