as in calculating
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as in scheming
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as in planning
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
mobsters were caught plotting to take over the company
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Recent Examples of plotting
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
The plotting, Truist claims, began in August 2022 when Rocco, Lovell, and other Grandbridge employees allegedly met with Colliers executives to discuss working together, all without the knowledge of Truist or its head of commercial real estate.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2026
Invincible is one of the best superhero shows on TV, blending intense and often gory action with smart plotting and character development, clever storytelling, a refreshingly earnest protagonist and an incredible cast.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Sons of Anarchy was praised for its stellar writing, operatic plotting, and cast of actors who breathed vivid life into their characters, giving even the most savage moments a dose of humanity.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, through its first four episodes, The Copenhagen Test is also a wonderful sleep aid — a whole lot of leaden dialogue and convoluted plotting, with very little intensity or momentum.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Dec. 2025
This plotting started immediately after the election, the investigators found.
—Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
Klipstein then asked how her guest knew about the alleged plotting.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Lowe's merchandising and marketing teams have started plotting out a 12-month plan of items that the company bets could become trending products, with about three to five items debuting each quarter, Wilson said.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 22 Jan. 2026
Several prominent opposition figures remain behind bars, including Juan Pablo Guanipa, a key ally of Machado accused by authorities of plotting against upcoming regional and parliamentary elections.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
But the alliance around Ukraine has gone through perhaps its most perilous week since the invasion, having just seen the world’s most powerful man seemingly lose his way for seven days, plotting a Greenland takeover of minimal economic and strategic benefit.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Now Greg Abel may be plotting a different course.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
However, Eli accused Raber of plotting the murder by herself.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Chief executive officer Jerry Giannini is plotting further expansion for the brand this year.
—Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
But Izzy Johnston is plotting a way for her Warriors to rise above all those squads.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
But this is a romance show, and most of its recurring conflicts are romantic, so the rest of Bridgerton’s plotting has to be fairly frictionless to ensure that its depictions of love and lust are as dramatic as possible.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
The plotting, Truist claims, began in August 2022 when Rocco, Lovell, and other Grandbridge employees allegedly met with Colliers executives to discuss working together, all without the knowledge of Truist or its head of commercial real estate.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2026
Invincible is one of the best superhero shows on TV, blending intense and often gory action with smart plotting and character development, clever storytelling, a refreshingly earnest protagonist and an incredible cast.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Sons of Anarchy was praised for its stellar writing, operatic plotting, and cast of actors who breathed vivid life into their characters, giving even the most savage moments a dose of humanity.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, through its first four episodes, The Copenhagen Test is also a wonderful sleep aid — a whole lot of leaden dialogue and convoluted plotting, with very little intensity or momentum.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Dec. 2025
This plotting started immediately after the election, the investigators found.
—Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
Klipstein then asked how her guest knew about the alleged plotting.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
But the city is plotting a decisive — if a little uneven — course toward a carbon-free future.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Lowe's merchandising and marketing teams have started plotting out a 12-month plan of items that the company bets could become trending products, with about three to five items debuting each quarter, Wilson said.
—Melissa Repko, CNBC, 22 Jan. 2026
Several prominent opposition figures remain behind bars, including Juan Pablo Guanipa, a key ally of Machado accused by authorities of plotting against upcoming regional and parliamentary elections.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
But the alliance around Ukraine has gone through perhaps its most perilous week since the invasion, having just seen the world’s most powerful man seemingly lose his way for seven days, plotting a Greenland takeover of minimal economic and strategic benefit.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Now Greg Abel may be plotting a different course.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
However, Eli accused Raber of plotting the murder by herself.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Chief executive officer Jerry Giannini is plotting further expansion for the brand this year.
—Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
But Izzy Johnston is plotting a way for her Warriors to rise above all those squads.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plotting
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
-
But the hardest part of the novel wasn’t scripting the scheming, backstabbing, or duplicitous behavior.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
While Harper is the example of Machiavellian plotting wielded for maximum enjoyment, Potomac’s Gizelle Bryant shows how that same kind of scheming, executed poorly, just amounts to misery for all parties involved.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The company has a location in north Fort Worth in the Alliance area, and is planning a second Cowtown store in the Walsh area along Interstate 20.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Mandelson also appeared to tip off Epstein that the European Union was planning a €500 billion bailout to prop up the euro, also in the wake of the financial crisis.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Díaz doesn’t expect openly antagonistic messaging at the halftime show — perhaps the lighter-blue Puerto Rican independence flag as a covert anti-occupation gesture.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Truist details allegations against former bank executives Truist’s complaint paints a picture of betrayal and covert meetings preceding the exodus.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
When Azalea came out of stealth this past November with $82 million in total funding, Yosemite was a key investor.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Kojima improves the balance of combat, stealth and exploration while telling a more intriguing story as Sam deals with tragedy and finds redemption in his mission.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
But Prayer is not your humdrum, surreptitious post–Cowboy Carter cash-out.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
2 Dec. 2025
-
Jamian Juliano-Villani’s friezelike painting Women, 2024, offers a surreptitious turn on Marcel Duchamp and Eadweard Muybridge by featuring an ostensibly female figure with too many (and ambiguously gendered) appendages.—
Tim Griffin,
Artforum,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Privacy is about agency, not secrecy Privacy isn’t about hiding.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
But the secrecy of a parent or grandparent can inflict its own potent wounds.—
Ruth Madievsky,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Bergen, Norway — In the frigid waters off the coast of Norway, America's NATO allies scour the depths for clandestine Russian activity.—
Steve Berriman,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The historical thriller is set against the backdrop of the 1970s meat ban in Uruguay, during which José, a Galician immigrant, and his daughter Rosita establish a clandestine slaughterhouse to survive.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plotting. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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