as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
the novel is about an elderly man and his scheming son who is impatient to inherit the family fortune
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in conniving
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in plotting
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of scheming
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2025
For MacNeill, whose character's successful scheming leads to this arrangement, there's no other way forward to protect their status.
—Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Aj Willingham, CNN, 23 Dec. 2022
This faux-fur pull-through scarf is warm, fuzzy, and tres chic for all your scheming needs.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2022
Andy Swift, TVLine, 13 Aug. 2025
Stories of haughty people scheming and plucky servants improving alarm clocks attract smaller audiences than, say, trench warfare.
—Elle Carroll, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scheming
Adjective
The Morning Show’s journalists and executives are back to boardroom scheming and digging for the truth in a new trailer for the Apple TV+ show’s fourth season.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2025
For MacNeill, whose character's successful scheming leads to this arrangement, there's no other way forward to protect their status.
—Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy get revenge on two scheming executives.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 23 Dec. 2022
This faux-fur pull-through scarf is warm, fuzzy, and tres chic for all your scheming needs.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 8 Dec. 2022
Noun
Whether Eva is sparring with her half-sister, scheming with her mother, or building bridges with her biological father, Michelle embraces every color of her character’s rainbow, consistently igniting the screen with her fiery, undeniable presence.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 13 Aug. 2025
Stories of haughty people scheming and plucky servants improving alarm clocks attract smaller audiences than, say, trench warfare.
—Elle Carroll, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scheming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scheming
Adjective
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Bening will costar on the series as Beulah Jackson, who's described as the powerful, cunning, and charming head of a major ranch in Texas.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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Joan Silber is a contemporary genius at creating artful stories of a multitude of characters who ricochet in cunning ways, crossing generations and continents.—
Jane Ciabattari
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Kremlin rejected the allegation, stressing that Putin was not plotting against Washington.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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The case became even more horrifying when he was accused of plotting to silence a key witness.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Maybe the next idea will be much better than the Axis—a nuclear weapon produced with unprecedented stealth, say, or something more clever than my own small mind can contemplate.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
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The company is one of the largest defense contractors in the world and makes the F-35 stealth fighter, the F-22, the C-130 Hercules, and multiple missile and satellite systems.—
John Koetsier,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Ofeefan Long-Sleeve A-Line Ribbed-Knit Mini Dress This mini sweater dress would look cute with a cropped leather jacket and coordinating knee-high boots.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Ouligay Period Bag My teen and her friends always make sure to keep their period stashes organized in one cute pouch like this black one.—
Jacquelyn Smith,
Parents,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This environment of mass detentions, human rights violations and secrecy has created a lucrative side business for corrupt official who prey on family members of the imprisoned.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
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Some employees choose to keep their relationship secret because such relationships are banned in their organization, others choose secrecy for privacy reasons or because the relationship is extramarital.—
Kim Elsesser,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scheming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scheming. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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