Thesaurus results for SCHEME

Q: How does the noun 'scheme' contrast with its synonyms?

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

Q: When would 'design' be a good substitute for 'scheme'?

While the synonyms design and scheme are close in meaning, design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony. // a design for a new dress

Q: When is it sensible to use 'plan' instead of 'scheme'?

In some situations, the words plan and scheme are roughly equivalent. However, plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation. // plans for a house

Q: When is 'plot' a more appropriate choice than 'scheme'?

The synonyms plot and scheme are sometimes interchangeable, but plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions. // the plot of the play

Q: In what contexts can 'project' take the place of 'scheme'?

Although the words project and scheme have much in common, project often stresses imaginative scope and vision. // a project to develop the waterfront

scheme 1 of 2

noun

ˈskēm

Definition of scheme next

as in ruse

a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end an e-mail scheme to trick unwary Internet users into disclosing passwords and financial information

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in conspiracy

a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends a scheme to kidnap the president's daughter

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in plan

a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective a scheme to upgrade the city's mass transit system

Synonyms & Similar Words

scheme

2 of 2

verb

as in to plot

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

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun scheme contrast with its synonyms?

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

When would design be a good substitute for scheme?

While the synonyms design and scheme are close in meaning, design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony.

a design for a new dress

When is it sensible to use plan instead of scheme?

In some situations, the words plan and scheme are roughly equivalent. However, plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation.

plans for a house

When is plot a more appropriate choice than scheme?

The synonyms plot and scheme are sometimes interchangeable, but plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions.

the plot of the play

In what contexts can project take the place of scheme?

Although the words project and scheme have much in common, project often stresses imaginative scope and vision.

a project to develop the waterfront

Examples 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 scheme

Noun

Both the Kremlin and Shor have denied interference, but Moldovan officials have warned the second vote could also be targeted by similar schemes. —

Christian Edwards, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024 That’s not that long in the grand scheme of things, but gaming laptops don't generally last much longer when playing games off the charger, and realistically, nearly 3 hours of an uninterrupted open-world RPG is a pretty solid single-sitting gaming session. —

Matthew Buzzi, PCMAG, 2 Nov. 2024

Verb

The series is built around Hahn’s scheming villain, Agatha Harkness, who is, as of the start of Agatha, powerless and trapped in an homage to a TV true-crime procedural that resembles WandaVision’s own genre parodies. —

Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2024 For all the talk of lineage, scheming, plotting, and throne-taking, one might be tempted to draw comparisons to Pascal's Game of Thrones. —

EW.com, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scheme

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scheme

Noun

But the photos only tell half of the story how White pulled off an elaborate ruse to surprise Dobrev with his proposal.

Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024
Though the establishment allegedly tried to lure Edward away from Wallis with fantastical tales about her to smear her reputation, the ruse didn’t work.

Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024