1
as in preparing
to work out the details of (something) in advance
we planned the school dance down to the smallest detail
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in intending
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
I plan to have a party for my birthday, even if I have to throw it myself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of planning
The comedy stars Kevin Hart as a 40-year-old executive who's accidentally added to a text chain for a group of 20-somethings (including Marcello Hernández and Mason Gooding) planning a wild three-day bachelor party.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Countries across the Gulf have arrested scores of people during the war, on charges ranging from posting images of wartime damage, to planning terrorist attacks with Iran.
—Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Elizabeth is planning, her rep says, to use some of the money she's made for her charity, the Shannon Elizabeth Foundation.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
In addition to funding for its law enforcement surge, the CTA is planning to spend $2 million on crisis intervention teams.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for planning
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Countries across the Gulf have arrested scores of people during the war, on charges ranging from posting images of wartime damage, to planning terrorist attacks with Iran.
—Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Elizabeth is planning, her rep says, to use some of the money she's made for her charity, the Shannon Elizabeth Foundation.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
In addition to funding for its law enforcement surge, the CTA is planning to spend $2 million on crisis intervention teams.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for planning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for planning
Verb
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Today, the two South Asian neighbors remain on high alert amid tit-for-tat threats and reports that both sides are preparing for more war.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
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Mentally preparing was the most important thing, to stay calm and focused.—
Sarah Blaskovich,
Houston Chronicle,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Investigators say Wilson entered through an open garage door intending to steal, but instead encountered Abghari inside.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
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Under the system, vessels intending to pass through the strait will receive guidance from an official email address outlining the rules for transit.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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In practice, though, designing a policy that acts wisely on this difference is all but impossible.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
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The interview was recorded before TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in late April that Qualcomm and MediaTek are jointly designing a custom chip for an OpenAI smartphone, with Luxshare manufacturing it.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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But even among the anchors that aren’t contemplating leaving TV for YouTube, the attraction of digital media is too irresistible to ignore.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
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Or, put another way, savers contemplating a $15,000 deposit into this account now can expect to earn a little more than $1 per week on their funds over the next year.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Through time-lapse analysis, researchers identified copper as the essential architect of the self-organizing process.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
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Activists Maria Grazia Demontis [left] and Alberto Sala, photographed inside the archaeological monument Giants’ Tomb of Pascarédda, have worked to stop the construction of wind farms by organizing protests and taking legal actions through their organization Gallura Coordination.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Everything is going surprisingly well despite the team being affected by injuries all spring.—
Jesús Cano,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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All of the passengers who were on board the cruise ship are asymptomatic and the evacuation operation was going as planned, a spokesperson for Spain’s Health Ministry said in an update Sunday morning.—
Vasco Cotovio,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Such pairings are one of Wilson’s strengths, his eye for portraiture matched by his skill for arranging images on the page.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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Others kick things up by arranging private beach bonfires in the evening, catamaran outings by day, surf lessons with Engstrom Surf, and even customized tarot card readings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Verb
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All the men were accused of plotting in South Florida and hiring a squad of former Colombian soldiers to violently overthrow Haiti’s president in a coup scheme that turned from his ouster to his assassination a couple of weeks before his death.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
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Sure, Bad Bunny could be plotting a merch drop related to his current Debí Tirar Más Fotos world tour, but the items listed aren’t typical apparel, like a t-shirt or baseball hat.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Planning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/planning. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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