PLANS Synonyms: 131 Similar and Opposite Words

plans 1 of 2

noun

plural of plan

as in strategies

a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective there is a contingency plan in the office for handling almost any emergency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in goals

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish our plan is to finish up by next Friday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

plans

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of plan

as in designs

to work out the details of (something) in advance we planned the school dance down to the smallest detail

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in intends

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

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 plans

Noun

Once the moon enters Gemini, conversations will pick up speed as plans become more flexible. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 That includes its previous plans to commit more than $10 billion to autonomous vehicles in the coming years. — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 About five years ago, tensions reignited when community members caught wind of plans to cut towering trees near the coastal town of Caspar. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Under the new partnership, PMG will back Kaskade’s push into Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and Greater China, building out brand tie-ins and growth plans suited to each market. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 Grande’s Eternal Sunshine album tour wrapped Tuesday after the performer announced plans to step back from public appearances. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026 Perhaps, for untold reasons, Russian officials decided to abandon plans to orbit the Rassvet satellites at 500 miles. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026 The automotive brand has big plans for 2027 and even has a new electric vehicle on the way for its American portfolio. — Charles Singh, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 The previous plans covered the cost for eight visits per individual but then required players to pay a portion of the costs for visits that exceeded the limit. — Mike Jones, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Verb

And regardless of whether General Motors plans on selling these to a wider audience or just a select few—or even just one person like Porsche did for Roger Penske—the task of dumbing down one of the world’s most advanced race cars is no small feat. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026 The office plans to be on site Thursday to talk with residents. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 In Congress, Blair plans to focus on affordability and address constituent services during his four-month tenure. — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 But Antonelli is set to start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid as Mercedes plans to fit his car with a fresh engine, triggering a penalty. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The company plans to open five stores this year in Florida, Kentucky and Texas. — Saleen Martin, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Sep. 2026 Security is the first use case, but the company plans to add an energy agent for your home’s power, a clean agent for your robot vacuums, and more. — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 3 Sep. 2026 But the company eventually plans to open-source the standard, which means any device manufacturer in any industry will be able to adopt it. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 Heat limits chip performance The aerospace and defense firm plans to integrate diamond directly into advanced semiconductor devices. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plans

Noun

Budgets and bureaucracy can move at a glacial pace, and internal politics often determine the weapons and strategies a country pursues in surprising ways.

— Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026
The best strategies come from understanding business objectives, listening carefully and aligning people before making decisions.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of strategies

Noun

Boise’s City Council on Tuesday denied an appeal from the Cathedral of the Rockies seeking to pave a parking area adjacent to its North End church, dealing a blow to an application that pit arguments of religious freedom against municipal goals.

— Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026
One of the goals behind the Lele pop-up for Uditi, who grew up in Caserta, outside of Naples, was to highlight the cuisine of his native Campania.

— Margy Rochlin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of goals

Verb

Samba has ties to the Brazilian Carnival tradition, so Anna picks out a floral fabric and designs a skirt with feather-style panels that will move around with the dancer.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Katie Becker, chief creative officer of Arc’teryx, said the brand designs products to perform for the long term.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of designs

Verb

The campaign intends to hire a Jewish liaison and is in the midst of an interview process for the role, which includes talking with Jewish community leaders, a person familiar with the campaign told JTA.

— Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Sebastian Kim, head of the content business Unit at CJ ENM, said the series had opened a door the company intends to keep pushing through.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of intends

Noun

For the first time, visitors can view color photographs from the museum's collection of the August Quarterly, see the church's original blueprints and read minutes from Sunday school programs.

— Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is handing Ukraine the blueprints to a valuable piece of his country’s military technology, thumbing his nose at a Kremlin that says the United Kingdom is now a party in the conflict.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of blueprints

Verb

The curriculum prepares students for future education and careers in creative industries, requiring them to analyze, design and render complex graphics, package design, typography, layouts, corporate brand identities and web interfaces.

— Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Her arrival comes as Dion prepares for her most substantial return to live performance since health issues forced her to stop touring.

— Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of prepares

Browse Nearby Words

planning

plans

plant

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Plans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plans. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of plans

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes