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
Relevance
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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
Arkansas Online, 21 Aug. 2025
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
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
In August of that year, Finkbeiner learned of the investigation and began scheming to steer investigators away from his dealer and eventually end the investigation entirely, the release states.
—Arkansas Online, 21 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for scheming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scheming
Adjective
-
On this occasion, Fernandez’s cross flies over Cucurella and straight into the thick of the action, where Joao Pedro’s cunning movement creates space to get his header away.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Still, no reason to do this to Kyle, who is just only recovering from his self-destructive spiral and who has no idea that his friend is plotting to steal his girl again.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Its director, and franchise mastermind, Rian Johnson has proven himself a master of the whodunnit form with these films, showing a knack for Agatha Christie puzzle-plotting that, well, the actual adapters of Christie haven’t shown in recent years.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In addition, the fuselage is designed for a low radar and infrared profile for better stealth.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Unlike earlier models focusing on ground strikes, these aircraft emphasize stealth, maneuverability, and autonomy.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The buzzy long-sleeve shirt has a cute ribbed design, and it’s made of soft, stretchy fabric that doesn’t feel overly restrictive.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
-
This cute camisole is perfect for lounging around or pairing with your favorite sweatpants or leggings.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The secrecy goes beyond a simple lack of disclosure.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
With the benefit of hindsight, agencies would very likely reverse engineer a need for anonymity for police officers whose duties do not actually demand such secrecy.—
Charles Ford Champion,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scheming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scheming. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share