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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in plans
a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective
a scheme to upgrade the city's mass transit system
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Former player and assistant coach Damon Jones was arrested in relation to both schemes.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Riding that unchecked wave of growth in crypto took Iza from a quiet, solitary childhood in the Midwest suburbs to a world of outlandish wealth, shady operators, and mind-boggling schemes.
—Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
Advertisement Another promising approach is for platforms to adopt better know-your-customer schemes, says Fred Heiding, a research fellow at Harvard University's Defense, Emerging Technology, and Strategy Program.
—Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
The department is required to develop marketing schemes that correspond to these demographics.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
Instead, these listings were driven by increasingly innovative scammers using complex schemes to lure job seekers into a range of financial traps as a growing number of Americans struggle to find work.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2025
The Clippers have one remaining preseason game, one more chance for Coach Tyronn Lue to get a look at what lineups and schemes might work before the regular season kicks off next week.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
The result has been an onslaught of scams targeting US users, many of whom have been tricked into depositing their funds through fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes.
—PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2025
Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
Through these schemes, people invest a significant amount of money into a country – with some countries like Greece having a minimum of €250,000 (about $290,357) – and are allowed to work and live there.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Former player and assistant coach Damon Jones was arrested in relation to both schemes.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Riding that unchecked wave of growth in crypto took Iza from a quiet, solitary childhood in the Midwest suburbs to a world of outlandish wealth, shady operators, and mind-boggling schemes.
—Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
Advertisement Another promising approach is for platforms to adopt better know-your-customer schemes, says Fred Heiding, a research fellow at Harvard University's Defense, Emerging Technology, and Strategy Program.
—Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
The department is required to develop marketing schemes that correspond to these demographics.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
Instead, these listings were driven by increasingly innovative scammers using complex schemes to lure job seekers into a range of financial traps as a growing number of Americans struggle to find work.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2025
The Clippers have one remaining preseason game, one more chance for Coach Tyronn Lue to get a look at what lineups and schemes might work before the regular season kicks off next week.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
The result has been an onslaught of scams targeting US users, many of whom have been tricked into depositing their funds through fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes.
—PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
-
Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Episode 4 finds both Ellen and Julia throwing themselves headlong into plans that require them to keep up major ruses.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The character names in many western fantasy books today would sound right at home in a Welsh classroom, and numerous plots draw on our myths and history.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
-
That emotional flow is especially evident in The World’s First Tooth Fairy…Ever series that blends lighthearted plots with consistent emotional depth.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But Mother Nature can influence our plans and activities.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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This week, the dramatic collapse of plans for Barcelona to play a La Liga game against Villarreal in Miami — first reported by The Athletic — added extra spice to the compelling and captivating Clasico.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Turns out it’s finished ahead of schedule and already shipping the servers, which will support Apple Intelligence services on consumer devices like iPhones, according to a new Fox Business report.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
-
That means more than one of every eight of Kroger's 103 stores in its Cincinnati-Dayton division (which includes Northern Kentucky) have the digital devices so far.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Rudy, along with his boss, Bruiser, and her disheveled paralegal, Deck, uncover two connected conspiracies surrounding the mysterious death of their client’s son.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
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As other seemingly unconnected incidents start to happen around her (one friend goes missing, another is attacked), conspiracies are everywhere and Chloe must try to separate truth from fiction while fearing for her life.—
Kate Belli,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
By the end of March 2018 Aydın seemed unsure whether to try to clear his name or lay low, vacillating between the two strategies.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Frederick Wherry, Kristin Seefeldt, and Anthony Alvarez examine the strategies potential lenders use to make these interactions less awkward.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Halloween’s history, from tricks to treats Halloween is rooted in the ancient Celtic ritual of Samhain, marking the harvest and coming winter – and few know the shortcomings of the cold more than Minnesotans.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Critic Dwight Macdonald later wrote that Keaton’s singular screen-in-screen transformation made similar tricks by Surrealist giants Dalí, Buñuel, and Cocteau timid by comparison.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The announcement on Friday evening draws a line once and for all, without having to go through the messy machinations of a parliamentary intervention, which would have been required to remove the dukedom.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
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Beyond his extensive acting credits, Nighy has become quietly famous for his no-nonsense opinions on the machinations of life and regular sightings in and around London cafés.—
Olivia Allen,
Vogue,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Schemes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/schemes. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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