as in calculating
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in scheming
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
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
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Between Duke, Kaulo, and Beckett’s plotting, there are enough moving parts to drive the story toward a climactic, incendiary end.
—Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
While Revere was central to the ride and its plotting, Kennedy will highlight myriad other men and women who proved crucial to the events that helped set in motion what would lead to America’s independence.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2026
The script was rushed, the plotting tangled and confusing.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
There’s a tension, too, between the observant realism of Layton’s style and the derivativeness of the plotting, though the three leads, all superb, smooth it over with considerable skill.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
Not a single critic of the book was struck by the incongruity of this failure in basic thriller plotting.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 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
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
There were no allegations in the complaint that Holmes was actually plotting any violence.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Pathé, meanwhile, started plotting an IPO several years ago and ultimately abandoned the project.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026
Camus’s conspiracy that a cabal of powerful elites is plotting a great replacement to ensure the exploitation and domination of low- and middle-income White people is nothing short of a grand distraction.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Taylor has been plotting with the Chanel team for some time now.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026
Swig Swig is plotting its newest location in Charlotte, though the timeline for the opening is unclear.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
Already, lawmakers are plotting how to point the finger at Trump on the campaign trail.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
He was tried, found guilty and executed, his fate at least in part designed to be a warning to others plotting a similar escape.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
Championed by Roger Ebert but ultimately a box-office flop, Stay’s plotting is far too tedious and the characters played by Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts too vague for any of it to gel.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Between Duke, Kaulo, and Beckett’s plotting, there are enough moving parts to drive the story toward a climactic, incendiary end.
—Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
While Revere was central to the ride and its plotting, Kennedy will highlight myriad other men and women who proved crucial to the events that helped set in motion what would lead to America’s independence.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2026
The script was rushed, the plotting tangled and confusing.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
There’s a tension, too, between the observant realism of Layton’s style and the derivativeness of the plotting, though the three leads, all superb, smooth it over with considerable skill.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
Not a single critic of the book was struck by the incongruity of this failure in basic thriller plotting.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 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
Verb
Once production had concluded on the first season, Ingelsby and Ruffalo felt there was still more to explore with his character and began plotting a second season arc.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
There were no allegations in the complaint that Holmes was actually plotting any violence.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Pathé, meanwhile, started plotting an IPO several years ago and ultimately abandoned the project.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026
Camus’s conspiracy that a cabal of powerful elites is plotting a great replacement to ensure the exploitation and domination of low- and middle-income White people is nothing short of a grand distraction.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Taylor has been plotting with the Chanel team for some time now.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026
Swig Swig is plotting its newest location in Charlotte, though the timeline for the opening is unclear.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
Already, lawmakers are plotting how to point the finger at Trump on the campaign trail.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
He was tried, found guilty and executed, his fate at least in part designed to be a warning to others plotting a similar escape.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 13 Mar. 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
-
There’s some scheming and double-crossing, and a major shootout, of course.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Unfortunately, Daines’ scheming, stick-it-to-the-voters approach isn’t just a Montana Republican thing.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Despite those risks, women riders in South Florida are becoming more visible on the motorcycle scene, planning their own meetups, safety briefings and events across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.—
Brenda Miranda,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Jefferies Financial Group — Shares of the investment bank rallied nearly 7% after The Financial Times, citing people familiar, reported that Japan’s second-largest lender, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, is planning a possible takeover of Jefferies.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
These shows join the likes of Conspiracies and Coverups, hosted by former CIA covert agent Andrew Bustamante, which launches on April 1, and Jeff Dunham’s The Cars That Drove Us, which premieres on March 31.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The Department of the Treasury last Thursday designated Hayat Yolu as a key player in a covert global network that uses the guise of humanitarian aid to raise money overseas.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For a quiet-luxury look Don’t let the ultra-baggy legs and shoelace waist dissuade you from going the stealth-wealth route.—
India Roby,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
-
For a creature that relies on stealth and stillness in low-light forest habitats, that potential ability to sense ambient light through its own body adds to an already unusual sensory profile.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Welcome to the era of surreptitious seafood, an industry gamble that overcoming Americans’ relative disinterest in the meat of the sea is all a matter of making fish look and taste less like, well, fish.—
J.m. Hirsch,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The filmmakers and inmates carried out this investigation in secret, through anonymous phone calls and surreptitious recordings, ultimately revealing systemic rot inside a sadistic prison system.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Castro family has controlled Cuba tightly for nearly 70 years, their personal lives shrouded in secrecy.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The line monitors administer the exam with near-total secrecy.—
Storey Wertheimer,
NBC news,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Pozo de Vargas is considered the largest clandestine mass grave of Argentina’s last dictatorship with the remains of 149 people recovered from the site.—
Débora Rey,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The Pozo de Vargas is considered the largest clandestine mass grave of Argentina’s last dictatorship with the remains of 149 people recovered from the site.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plotting. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
