PLOTTING Synonyms: 188 Similar and Opposite Words

plotting 1 of 3

adjective

as in calculating

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plotting

2 of 3

noun

as in scheming

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Dissimilar Words

plotting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of plot

as in planning

to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends mobsters were caught plotting to take over the company

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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 plotting

Noun

Resurrection, a blast of old-fashioned Dexter greatness with tight plotting, fun guest stars, and a thrilling climax. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026 None of this ever accumulates much weight, however, since the conflicts are all dulled by the one-note absurdity of the farcical plotting. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026 Dense plotting and brutal conflict come together for memorably extravagant zeniths. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026 Amid a national cinema that has become internationally recognized for perverse plotting and deadpan absurdism, writer-director Alexis Alexiou‘s third feature stands out for its stark storytelling and earnest emotional intensity. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026 Setting the film on the Canadian frontier rather than the American sets it apart from its peers, and the more languid pacing and character-driven plotting continue to distinguish it as a mannered classic. — David Faris, TheWeek, 21 Aug. 2026 Then again, there never was with risky plotting predicated on rotation health. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026 In October, 2024, Navalna was found guilty, but of a lesser category of terrorist plotting, and sentenced to eight years in prison, rather than the fifteen that the prosecution had requested. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Instead the episode begins with Spike (James Marsters) and Drusilla (Juliet Landau) plotting. — Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026

Verb

Her character has a romantic tension with Dennison, and despite plotting an affair, the pair only flirt and never act on it. — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 With the children’s television landscape evolving from the bright sitcom-style of Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows, a veteran director of the genre is plotting his own course, while still working in the children’s entertainment space. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 Davis, a former leader of the Southside Compton Crips gang, was found guilty of first-degree murder on August 31 for plotting the 1996 killing of the rap mogul near the Las Vegas Strip. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 Flávio is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year and three-month sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup d’état after losing the 2022 presidential election. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026 His business partners, including Garth Chappell, were, however, arrested and convicted, along with Noye, on charges of plotting to dispose of the gold. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026 Although this is just the beginning of a much more complex legal dispute, royal insider Rob Shuter claimed Andrew’s already plotting his comeback. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 9 Oct. 2026 Torture of political opponents The indictment details several cases involving military officers, opposition figures and other detainees accused of plotting against Maduro. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 Jair Bolsonaro is now serving a 27-year prison sentence under house arrest after being convicted of plotting to overturn that election and prevent Lula from taking office. — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plotting

Adjective

Even Alex becomes too entangled in her students’ dealings and ends up suffering at the hands of one of the more calculating boys.

— Rebekah Frumkin, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2019
And experts believe that his intuitive style could throw the more calculating Caruana, who has faced time crunches already in this championship, off-balance.

— Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 27 Nov. 2018

Definition of calculating

Noun

Thanks to some scheming of their own, Rebecca and Higgins have turned Hugo to their side, using him to acquire the crucial shares owned by the Milk sisters.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Keeping track of scheming or incompetent subordinates has always been the autocrat’s chief burden.

— Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of scheming

Verb

Museum will add new west wing The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is planning a major expansion to the west, highlighted by a two-level glass addition topped with a green roof.

— Neil Nakahodo, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026
Waymo is planning to expand its service in London, Tokyo, and Munich.

— Andrew Hawkins, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of planning

Adjective

This year has seen several notable incidents involving both overt and covert threats to undersea infrastructure, including Iranian efforts to impose fees on operators of undersea cables running through the contested Strait of Hormuz.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
From hippies to covert racists, psychedelics to cult-like workshop leaders, this is a world where any difference is still scrutinized and looked down on.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of covert

Noun

Through patience, stealth, and smart use of supplies for crafting, survival is achievable, but this isn’t a bug hunt with the Colonial Marines.

— Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Reactor, which emerged from stealth in May, develops software to make world models run faster and cheaper, and sells a cloud service that manages the computing capacity.

— Wen Shao, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of stealth

Adjective

Many hosts report resistance, in the forms of surreptitious card-shuffling and outright complaints.

— Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 Sep. 2026
To unearth these surreptitious practices, Gamers Nexus partnered up with independent security researchers and Level1Techs.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of surreptitious

Noun

In a sea of influencers, Michelin’s century of dining expertise and its strict code of secrecy stand out.

— Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
His lawyers, making the motion for dismissal, argued that Kuznietsov was still an active duty soldier and as such was obligated by Ukrainian law not to speak for reasons of secrecy linked to national security.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of secrecy

Adjective

Bridgers’ tour restricts phones, so the reader’s account had to stand in for the clandestine photo that might otherwise have accompanied the sighting.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
The Soviet Union operated an extensive clandestine biological weapons program despite being a party to the Biological Weapons Convention.

— Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of clandestine

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plotters

plotting

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Style

“Plotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plotting. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of plotting

adjective

noun

verb

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