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
Demetris Nellas, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Jan. 2023
Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy get revenge on two scheming executives.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 23 Dec. 2022
Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Is this decision driven by her scheming to sabotage her ex’s professorial chances, or a covert desire to reconnect with her former paramour?
—Abby Monteil, Them., 28 Oct. 2025
Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Ocean's Eleven hit theaters in 2001, starring Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Bernie Mac, and more as a crew of criminals scheming to rob three Las Vegas casinos.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scheming
Adjective
Many viewed him as being manipulated by his scheming mother, dowager Queen Frederica.
—Demetris Nellas, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Jan. 2023
Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy get revenge on two scheming executives.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 23 Dec. 2022
Noun
In DaCosta’s film, Hedda’s scheme to stall Lovborg’s comeback is drawn out with more detailed scheming, including implicating Lovborg in a public humiliation of Professor Greenwood (Finbar Lynch), who is responsible for deciding the recipient of the professorship.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Is this decision driven by her scheming to sabotage her ex’s professorial chances, or a covert desire to reconnect with her former paramour?
—Abby Monteil, Them., 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
In London, Angelica used her private connections to elevate her husband’s public power, scheming to ensure Church’s election to Parliament in 1790.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Ocean's Eleven hit theaters in 2001, starring Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Bernie Mac, and more as a crew of criminals scheming to rob three Las Vegas casinos.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scheming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scheming
Adjective
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Fueled by vengeance and cunning ambition, Ashur rises from betrayal and bloodshed to seize power, gouging out a place for the House of Ashur in a new arena full of violence, desire, and twisted loyalty.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
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The elaborate scheme, masterminded by members of four Mafia families in collusion with celebrity athletes, ensnared unsuspecting victims, bleeding them of over $7 million through cunning deception, prosecutors said in the indictment.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Farrell and Kidman are outstanding, even as Lanthimos' ritualistic plotting and direction keep them hemmed into their characters' rigid conceptions.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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The beauty of this affair wasn’t in the plotting, but in the performance of yearning given by Edie Falco, who made the series every bit as much hers as Gandolfini’s in these moments.—
John Ortved,
Vogue,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Mankinlu Maple Leaf Solar Pathway Lights As daylight starts to fade earlier, these cute pathway lights add both charm and function to your yard.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
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The easiest fix for the age-old struggle between cute and comfy?—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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It's built around a simple but effective formula, which blends social manipulation with technical stealth.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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During the Cold War, Russia introduced new classes of submarines that posed a threat to American warships, including aircraft carriers, because of their stealth and speed.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The slick lobby was guarded by uniformed doormen and the elevator took me to a long polished corridor leading to a big mahogany door.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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But Ratanaruang’s most essential collaborator is, again, Doyle, who uses desaturated 16mm to evoke Sao’s past and slick digital cinematography to capture her present.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The outcome could set a precedent for how far courts can go in easing logistical burdens on defendants in sensitive-information cases without compromising government secrecy.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Even in a strange story like this, some of the classic Cheney traits, such as secrecy, were on display.—
Don Gonyea,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scheming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scheming. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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