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 plotting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scheming
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2025
Many viewed him as being manipulated by his scheming mother, dowager Queen Frederica.
—Demetris Nellas, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Jan. 2023
Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Getting there required some Regency-era scheming.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2026
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
Artist Lauren Halsey has been dreaming and scheming on this sculpture park for 17 years.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scheming
Adjective
The doors that slam, as farcical doors are built to do, open to work spaces, where a good deal of time is spent scheming and counter-scheming.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2025
Many viewed him as being manipulated by his scheming mother, dowager Queen Frederica.
—Demetris Nellas, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Jan. 2023
Noun
Unfortunately, Daines’ scheming, stick-it-to-the-voters approach isn’t just a Montana Republican thing.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Getting there required some Regency-era scheming.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
The show gestures at the classic targets of old-timey sexism, small-mindedness, and nativism—much of it embodied by Gasteyer’s scheming character—but only in the safest possible ways.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
Artist Lauren Halsey has been dreaming and scheming on this sculpture park for 17 years.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scheming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scheming
Adjective
-
As Michael moves into solo stardom and makes cunning business moves, the film captures how his seemingly naive idealism was also a form of ambition.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Past friends and former associates described him to me as an exceptionally cunning con man, a consummate charmer, and a womanizer.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
Adjective
-
The clothes were cute, though, if not a little costumey.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
This adorable cloud pillow shows Harry’s iconic lightning bolt scar and is a seriously cute addition to any fan’s collection of memorabilia.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Such environments are designed to be hostile to non-stealth aircraft, helicopters, and some legacy stealth platforms under the wrong conditions.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The vertical stabilizer has been removed to increase the stealth of the airframe by reducing the radar signature across both high- and low-frequency bands.—
David Szondy
April 21,
New Atlas,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Major West Bank roads are lined with Israeli flags and slick new real estate billboards advertising affordable housing in settlements in Hebrew.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
2 May 2026
-
Find something a recruit is interested in and a picture of him, and AI can produce a (relatively) slick graphic pretty quickly.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The April 26, 1986 disaster shone a spotlight on lax safety standards and government secrecy in what was then the Soviet Union.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
By the end of that show, the anxiety and isolation that freight life in the closet had burned away, leaving a happy, hopeful ending in place of familiar narrative disaster; love is found, secrecy is banished, and all is well.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scheming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scheming. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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