1
as in ruses
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
an e-mail scheme to trick unwary Internet users into disclosing passwords and financial information
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2
as in plots
a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends
a scheme to kidnap the president's daughter
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3
as in plans
a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective
a scheme to upgrade the city's mass transit system
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as in intrigues
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
the town inspector had schemed to overlook the contractor's code violations in exchange for a substantial bribe
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of schemes
Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
State regulators have suspended hundreds of hospice licenses amid allegations of fraudulent billing and phantom patient schemes.
—Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
One driver, the report says, is not only national but regional support schemes.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 1 June 2026
When lawmakers asked the PSC to audit FPL to ensure that electric bills weren’t funding political schemes, the PSC just said no.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2026
Rozier was arrested in October along with former NBA player Damon Jones, who pleaded guilty last month for his role in schemes to defraud major sportsbooks including DraftKings and FanDuel.
—Rebecca Boone, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Set in 1940s Mexico, the book follows a con artist who becomes intertwined in the schemes of a boardinghouse owner and her niece.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
The schemes involve the use of fake court documents regarding false traffic and criminal infractions.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Their schemes are said to be nearly identical.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
Joy Randolph, follows a desperate gallery owner (Portman) who schemes to sell a dead man as art at Art Basel in Miami.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
Chalamet embodies Marty’s arrant showmanship with an evident joy in performance, exactly as Marty himself schemes not only shamelessly but jubilantly.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Matthew quickly schemes his way into Oliver’s orbit after that first performance, impressing and rankling the group of lackeys in his entourage at the same time.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
Shakespeare’s comedies especially understand the joy of watching people get trapped in schemes and plots well beyond their control.
—Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
State regulators have suspended hundreds of hospice licenses amid allegations of fraudulent billing and phantom patient schemes.
—Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
One driver, the report says, is not only national but regional support schemes.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 1 June 2026
When lawmakers asked the PSC to audit FPL to ensure that electric bills weren’t funding political schemes, the PSC just said no.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2026
Rozier was arrested in October along with former NBA player Damon Jones, who pleaded guilty last month for his role in schemes to defraud major sportsbooks including DraftKings and FanDuel.
—Rebecca Boone, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Set in 1940s Mexico, the book follows a con artist who becomes intertwined in the schemes of a boardinghouse owner and her niece.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
The schemes involve the use of fake court documents regarding false traffic and criminal infractions.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Their schemes are said to be nearly identical.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Verb
Marty, who was loosely based on real-life ping-pong legend Marty Reisman, schemes his way to competitions across the globe and hustles for pocket cash.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
Joy Randolph, follows a desperate gallery owner (Portman) who schemes to sell a dead man as art at Art Basel in Miami.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
Chalamet embodies Marty’s arrant showmanship with an evident joy in performance, exactly as Marty himself schemes not only shamelessly but jubilantly.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Matthew quickly schemes his way into Oliver’s orbit after that first performance, impressing and rankling the group of lackeys in his entourage at the same time.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for schemes
Noun
-
They are accused of using several ruses to force their way into people’s homes, assaulting unsuspecting residents and holding them hostage for their own money, and demanding access to their crypto accounts.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
Kids will quickly see through her ruses.—
Elise Broach,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Inside, the museum boasts a planetarium, giant-screen theater, exhibition zones, and landscaped outdoor teaching plots organized around regional species and observable plant phenomena.—
Bridget Borgobello
May 30,
New Atlas,
30 May 2026
-
The main dining rooms look onto greenery and kitchen plots, and menus weave herbs, flowers and produce from the grounds together with ingredients from regional farms.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
And Patriot Front has plans to keep growing – fast.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
According to News 12, the 43-year-old reality star told VUE Magazine about his plans to enter the political sphere at their spring edition party on Thursday night.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The sources described it as a preliminary operation laying the groundwork for additional steps by installing listening devices and intelligence equipment in the area.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
-
That treatment gap is reviving interest in experimental blood-filtering devices that can physically remove viral particles from the bloodstream.—
Elie Dolgin,
IEEE Spectrum,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The 1940 novel Darkness at Noon is a fictionalized but highly realistic account of a Soviet official who is arrested under Stalin, is charged with wild anti-Soviet conspiracies, and ultimately chooses to give a public confession.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
-
The former clerk had become the face of election conspiracies and attempts to undermine voting systems, Cutter said.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
According to the American College of Cardiology, first-line strategies for managing high blood pressure include quitting smoking, eating a heart-healthy diet, and increasing physical activity.—
Fran Kritz,
Verywell Health,
4 June 2026
-
Livermore’s evolution into a happening place began more than 20 years ago, when city planners and the community began to focus on investing in downtown, supporting local businesses and trying some interesting urban-design strategies to improve the look and feel of the city.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
In the middle, a Cartman in the role of a Midtown tax adviser dispenses accounting tips and tricks, culled from a YouTube account run by a real-life New York CPA.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
That makes many older attack tricks harder to pull off.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The blueprints were drawn up by Uruguayan architect Álvaro Pérez Azar, who also sourced and restored local vintage pieces of furniture.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
-
Yet, the slender fangjaw proves that the creatures that look like monsters might actually hold the blueprints for our future.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Schemes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/schemes. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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