scheme 1 of 2

noun

ˈskēm How to pronounce scheme (audio)
Definition of schemenext
1
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

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2
as in conspiracy
a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends a scheme to kidnap the president's daughter

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
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

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 scheme
Noun
The analytics community has since poured gasoline on these prototypes, helping teams create blueprints for their scheme based on size and measureables. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025 About themselves, their players, their schemes. —Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
Is Cherry a scheming social climber? —Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 8 Sep. 2025 Watch Saturday Night on Netflix Set It Up Two assistants scheme to set up their respective demanding bosses to get them off their backs. —James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scheme
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scheme
  1. ruse
  2. conspiracy
  3. plan
  4. plot
  5. device
  6. strategy
  7. trick
  8. blueprint
Noun
  • Police said McGriff employed the ruse to access the couple's Queens residence and then set it ablaze.
    — Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
  • McGriff allegedly tried the ruse at a nearby house first but was turned away, Tisch said.
    — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of ruse
Noun
  • The jury convicted Patron of intentional killing while engaged in drug trafficking, hostage taking resulting in death and conspiracy to take hostages resulting in death.
    — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Two young soldiers from each reality must unite to solve a government conspiracy.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of conspiracy
Noun
  • More recently, the co-founders called for the company to be separated from Unilever and excluded from its plans to float the ice cream division on the stock market.
    — Hugh Cameron Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Apex is continuing to use its current software but plans on fully transitioning to Rec by late February of next year.
    — Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of plan
Verb
  • Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro – who was this week convicted of plotting to overturn his country’s 2022 election and sentenced to more than 27 years in jail – is far from being the first Latin American leader to run into legal trouble.
    — Sofía Benavides, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Another restructure is being plotted, with a meeting scheduled next week to discuss plans.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of plot
Noun
  • The devices nearly saturated the ground, and boosted humidity in the grove by 20%, dampening fire spread, Zwierzchowski said.
    — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Verizon claimed that Section 222 of the Communications Act covers only call-location data, as opposed to device location data.
    — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of device
Noun
  • To learn more about the interim pintail strategy, visit the Fish and Wildlife website.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Many SMBs are also exploring external partnerships as part of their strategy—not as a replacement for internal responsibility, but as a way to extend their capabilities.
    — Ro'ee Margalit, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Definition of strategy
Noun
  • So the real trick was creating a hue with blendability that people were willing to reapply.
    — Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The Luray Caverns feel almost magical—complete with musical instruments built into the walls, mirror-like lakes that play tricks on your eyes, and even a wishing well tucked into the underground pathways.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
Definition of trick
Noun
  • That blueprint showed Nasserzadeh what courage in various instances could look like, including at work.
    — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
  • These are not abstract ideals but practical blueprints for building more just, democratic, and equitable societies.
    — Mbongiseni Buthelezi, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
Definition of blueprint

Phrases Containing scheme

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schematizing
scheme
schemed
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Cite this Entry

“Scheme.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scheme. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on scheme

Nglish: Translation of scheme for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scheme

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