plan 1 of 2

plan

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun plan contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plan are design, plot, project, and scheme. While all these words mean "a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end," plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation.

plans for a house

When is design a more appropriate choice than plan?

While in some cases nearly identical to plan, design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony.

a design for a new dress

When could plot be used to replace plan?

While the synonyms plot and plan are close in meaning, plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions.

the plot of the play

When is it sensible to use project instead of plan?

In some situations, the words project and plan are roughly equivalent. However, project often stresses imaginative scope and vision.

a project to develop the waterfront

Where would scheme be a reasonable alternative to plan?

The synonyms scheme and plan are sometimes interchangeable, but scheme stresses calculation of the end in view and may apply to a plan motivated by craftiness and self-interest.

a scheme to defraud the government

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 plan
Noun
The Spurs had a strong preseason plan: pair rising star Victor Wembanyama with veterans Harrison Barnes and Chris Paul, hoping their experience would help fast-track Wemby's rise to superstardom. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025 Meanwhile, job cuts across the federal government, as well as deportation plans, are contributing to uncertainty about a national labor market that is also holding up so far, though hiring has slowed. Kevin Williams, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines across the Android world, including Galaxy S25 Edge pricing, Samsung plans Exynos return, Pixel 10 Pro leaks, Oppo Find X8 Ultra specs, Google could sell Chrome, Pokemon Go sold, and Genshin Impact picks up official controller support. Ewan Spence, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025 Officials have been planning for years to bring the future Buc-ee’s, a 74,000-square-foot location that will be one of the largest in the country with 120 gas pumps and 12 electric vehicle charging stations. Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plan
Noun
  • Such cross subsidies have long been a part of higher education's financial strategy, under which students in classes or fields that cost less to teach generally subsidize their counterparts in courses or disciplines that cost more.
    Jon Marcus, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
  • In many ways, the account-for-it-later strategy is a bet on the still booming NFL.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 15 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The goal: Eliminate the gross receipts tax portion of BIRT and reduce the net income portion by half by fiscal year 2039.
    Mike D'Onofrio, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Even when new goals have been reached—voting rights, equal pay, equal employment opportunity—there’s still the monumental amount of work to be done on the other side of the victory in turning those achievements into cultural reality.
    Cassidy Randall, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Unlike others, Granta Autonomy is no new start-up but has been preparing for a drone war for more than ten years.
    David Hambling, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Crespo’s new achievement sets as the Puerto Rican prepares for his Poeta Herío Tour, which begins at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico on June 21.
    Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • To be built close to junction 10 of the M1 motorway for easy access by car, it was intended to have a removable grass pitch, which would have made Luton the first club to use such technology.
    Tom Burrows, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Conceived by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood, who later went on to design several of America’s iconic national park lodges, the building was intended to fold seamlessly into its environment—working to complement the natural beauty of its surroundings rather than overpowering it.
    Sophie Mendel, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a sweeping proposal outlining a far-right vision for the country, offered a blueprint.
    Collin Binkley, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Indonesia’s first-ever Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, has outlined an ambitious blueprint for the nation’s cultural growth, with special emphasis on developing the country’s rapidly expanding film industry.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • At that point, sunglasses lose their sine qua non purpose to protect our eyes, becoming a purely ornamental element capable of elevating an entire outfit.
    Teresa Romero Martínez, Glamour, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The automation of jobs by AI could lead to widespread unemployment and economic inequality, leaving many people feeling powerless and without purpose.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The system, designed by Lufthansa Technik for Bombardier, is a spectrum of 24 pre-programmed daylight settings to naturally speed up one’s biological clock.
    Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Transform your bedroom with bedding picks designed to keep you warm.
    Nora Colomer, Fox News, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • This would necessitate integrating French alongside English in our federal operations—a significant governance shift few have seriously contemplated.
    Steve Forbes, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Ukraine’s allies in Europe are contemplating stepping up their financial aid in the wake of statements by U.S. President Donald Trump that Europe must take care of its own security.
    DAVID McHUGH, TIME, 18 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plan. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

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