as in calculating
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as in scheming
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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
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Recent Examples of plotting
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Which was widely panned for its unrealistic plot, laughable dialogue, and inexplicable plotting.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
But here’s where the plotting turns ridiculously tidy.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 24 May 2026
Who is murdered, why and Clare’s entanglement in the whole deal unfold over the remainder of the novel, featuring much tighter and more plausible plotting than your average suspense story.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
For that, Quintrell turned directly to Austen’s own plotting.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
Even the film’s critic-defying, pinky-swearing fanbase may be disappointed in the barebones production, jarring plotting, tired dialogue and ham-handed staging.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
But Goebel’s sharp dialogue, razor plotting and fiery sense of Los Angeles elevate his unconventional characters.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
But despite Badio’s behind-the-scenes plotting, John insisted that the former official was not the one in charge of the operation.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 15 June 2026
Hidden amongst them are the Werewolves, a secret set plotting to eliminate players one by one and steal the prize.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
Hidden amongst them are Werewolves, a secret set plotting to eliminate players one by one and steal the prize.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 June 2026
The beloved Shug’s Bagels from Dallas is plotting a Fort Worth store on Camp Bowie in the Arlington Heights neighborhood.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
Ex-Ku Klux Klansman Edgar Ray Killen, a Baptist preacher, received a 60-year prison sentence after being convicted of triple manslaughter for plotting the June 1964 slayings of Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman, three civil rights workers registering Black voters in Mississippi.
—USA Today, 9 June 2026
Finish your city adventure with a house tequila spritz, and start plotting your return.
—Tanya Edwards, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026
However, Eli accused Raber of plotting the murder by herself.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
Bolsonaro was arrested and ultimately convicted of plotting a coup to overturn the results of that election.
—Jim Defede, CBS News, 6 June 2026
Noun
The length exacerbates all the rest of the series' sins, including a lack of emotional depth, gratuitous suffering and violence, long stretches of boring, listless plotting and extraneous characters.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Which was widely panned for its unrealistic plot, laughable dialogue, and inexplicable plotting.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
But here’s where the plotting turns ridiculously tidy.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 24 May 2026
Who is murdered, why and Clare’s entanglement in the whole deal unfold over the remainder of the novel, featuring much tighter and more plausible plotting than your average suspense story.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
For that, Quintrell turned directly to Austen’s own plotting.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
Even the film’s critic-defying, pinky-swearing fanbase may be disappointed in the barebones production, jarring plotting, tired dialogue and ham-handed staging.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
But Goebel’s sharp dialogue, razor plotting and fiery sense of Los Angeles elevate his unconventional characters.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
But despite Badio’s behind-the-scenes plotting, John insisted that the former official was not the one in charge of the operation.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Kainerugaba has threatened to hang Besigye, accusing him of plotting to kill Museveni.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
Hidden amongst them are the Werewolves, a secret set plotting to eliminate players one by one and steal the prize.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
Hidden amongst them are Werewolves, a secret set plotting to eliminate players one by one and steal the prize.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 June 2026
The beloved Shug’s Bagels from Dallas is plotting a Fort Worth store on Camp Bowie in the Arlington Heights neighborhood.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
Ex-Ku Klux Klansman Edgar Ray Killen, a Baptist preacher, received a 60-year prison sentence after being convicted of triple manslaughter for plotting the June 1964 slayings of Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman, three civil rights workers registering Black voters in Mississippi.
—USA Today, 9 June 2026
Finish your city adventure with a house tequila spritz, and start plotting your return.
—Tanya Edwards, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026
However, Eli accused Raber of plotting the murder by herself.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
Bolsonaro was arrested and ultimately convicted of plotting a coup to overturn the results of that election.
—Jim Defede, CBS News, 6 June 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
-
Rivals – Season 2 (Hulu) Set in Britain in the 80s’, the series is about the scheming and politics of TV broadcast in the Thatcher era.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
In the finale of Season 2, the women have gotten past the lying and scheming and are in a new and more honest place.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Federal authorities allege Proper was part of a group planning an attack on UFC Freedom 250, a June 14 event held on the White House South Lawn.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
-
Christie’s is planning to open a boutique wine shop at its headquarters in Rockefeller Center, thanks in part to assistance from New York state legislators who passed a law allowing the auction house to get around a regulation dating back more than a century.—
Andy Battaglia,
ARTnews.com,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
The film follows cybersecurity expert Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor), who lifts secret files about the existence of aliens from Wardex, a covert non-government organization that used to employ him.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
The investigation also linked the activity to China based on IP addresses associated with a LinkedIn account and a Gmail account tied to the covert recruitment scheme.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Because modern warplanes put a premium on stealth, internal weapon bays are preferred to reduce radar signatures, but opening the bays for launching creates a high-speed aerodynamic cavity.—
David Szondy
June 04,
New Atlas,
4 June 2026
-
The Oura Ring 4 is still available in select finishes, starting at $349 for the silver and stealth models (the latter previously cost $399).—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
TiVo is often chastised for being surreptitious about its data collection practices and its failure to provide a clear privacy policy.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 May 2026
-
The upside of the bar's surreptitious locale is sometimes not having to share it with a soul; the downside is the potential lack of a pool partner, so bring your own.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The West-Batula news fractured the cast due to secrecy and betrayals, and the fallout from the off-camera events has played out over an explosive three-part reunion that concluded last week.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
-
Her Taurus moon also occupies her 12th house, an area of the birth chart associated with spirituality, secrecy and subconscious realms.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Some may be announced publicly; others may happen in more clandestine ways.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
-
But clandestine flows aren’t the biggest factor behind the market calm.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plotting. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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