counterplot 1 of 2

Definition of counterplotnext

counterplot

2 of 2

verb

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 counterplot
Noun
Bit by bit, the castle at Elsinore (broodingly rendered by scenic designer Lee Savage) turns into a stage for life-and-death plots and counterplots. — Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2019 There’s something comforting about the normalcy of plot and counterplot, action and intrigue. — Mike Hale, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterplot
Noun
  • The Democratic Party’s shake-up of its calendar for early-state primaries has added to the intrigue as potential 2028 hopefuls fan out across the country to boost midterm candidates.
    — Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
  • From moving images in our neighborhoods to political intrigue at the state Capitol and portraits of area newsmakers, their lenses offer a unique window into life in Sacramento and beyond.
    — Nathaniel Levine, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But a few months later, at her 18-month appointment, the standard graph that plotted a child’s weight against their age showed her weight slipping off the curve.
    — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
  • With some hits in the bank and an overall deal with Amazon MGM, Wallace and her team can now take the time to plot what comes next.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The switch-up came with a bit of comic, manic machinations that Rock said reminded him of making Devil Without a Cause, his 1998 breakthrough.
    — Gary Graff, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Elia’s observations of—and about—her father’s machinations would make for a far better movie.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That point is proved time and again, as editors scheme against each other, belittle each other’s literary taste and throw Batter under the bus whenever an opportunity arises.
    — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • However, as Pamela Colloff reveals in her taut and engrossing investigation, a scheming jailhouse snitch’s testimony was largely responsible for putting Dailey on death row for decades.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The series unpacks the subterfuge and secrecy required to record the interviews and how Diana and Colthurst were on high alert while making the recordings, Barefield explained.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • This subterfuge makes sense, since what these people reveal implicates their superiors.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Williams had allegedly conspired with three other individuals to fake his own abduction alongside hers, according to local reports of the incident.
    — Breaking News, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Lemon was charged with conspiring to interfere with religious rights and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Corruption schemes The first indictment, filed in Miami in 2019, accuses Pulido and Saab of participating in a money laundering conspiracy involving a Venezuelan government contract to build low-income housing.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Orphaned, the children are taken in by their irreverent aunt Berta, and begin a new life in the big city in a house frequented by intellectuals and where all kinds of political conspiracies are hatched.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Transport Workers Union President John Samuelsen said Menin is using the death of a tourist to contrive a public safety crisis.
    — Jessica Moore, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • That is what makes conversations like this sound dishonest and contrived.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Counterplot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterplot. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!