PROJECT Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of project are design , plan , plot , and scheme . While all these words mean "a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end," project often stresses imaginative scope and vision. // a project to develop the waterfront

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

Although the words design and project have much in common, design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony. // a design for a new dress

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

The synonyms plan and project are sometimes interchangeable, but plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation. // plans for a house

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

The words plot and project are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions. // the plot of the play

Q: When might 'scheme' be a better fit than 'project'?

In some situations, the words scheme and project are roughly equivalent. However, 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

project 1 of 2

noun

ˈprä-ˌjekt

Definition of project

as in plan

a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective an ambitious project to develop the city's waterfront

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

project

2 of 2

verb

prə-ˈjekt

as in to protrude

to extend outward beyond a usual point some boulders projected dangerously out above the trail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to plan

to work out the details of (something) in advance we must project next year's budget now

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun project contrast with its synonyms?

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

a project to develop the waterfront

When would design be a good substitute for project?

Although the words design and project have much in common, design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony.

a design for a new dress

In what contexts can plan take the place of project?

The synonyms plan and project are sometimes interchangeable, but plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation.

plans for a house

When is plot a more appropriate choice than project?

The words plot and project are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions.

the plot of the play

When might scheme be a better fit than project?

In some situations, the words scheme and project are roughly equivalent. However, 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

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 project

Noun

But the real surprise hit Thursday and Friday, when people across the county started to realize that Demings was going to be pushing for an up-or-down vote on the entire 13-project package. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026 This was three years before the introduction of Tesla’s Autopilot, five years before Waymo spun out of the Google self-driving car project, and seven years before the first commercial robotaxi service got underway (in Arizona, not Nevada). — Andrew Hawkins, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026

Verb

Neither waiver is projected to have much long-term effect on US prices. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026 In its most spiritual version, Moore’s Law projected that our power would routinely double. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for project

Recent Examples of Synonyms for project

Noun

The new plans also include more changes to the project's lighting and traffic patterns.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt could change plans and go with Foster Griffin on Saturday.

— Joe Reedy, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of plan

Verb

While it was designed to bring nationwide uniformity and stability to college athletics, its deficiencies are manifold.

— Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Energy-absorbing seats are designed to manage forces transmitted to occupants during an impact, potentially reducing injury risks.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of design

Noun

For a blueprint, Johnson points to a handful of NBA stars who have mastered the art of seeing the game unfold a step or two ahead of everyone else — Draymond Green, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and, yes, former Spurs great Tim Duncan.

— Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026
Trump in this term quickly began implementing an array of policies left over from his first term or outlined in the Project 2025 policy blueprint, many of which Bonta and other Democratic attorneys general were prepared to sue over, experts said.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of blueprint

Verb

Some, including the Idaho Potato Commission, swear that the way a baked potato is opened affects the texture, eschewing a knife for a fork to gently poke a plus sign into the surface.

— Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
From ceviche and poke to pasta and tacos, the menu revolves around the catch of the day, which is sourced from local markets.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of poke

Verb

Commercial incentives persist Koh said shipping companies around the world have continued looking for opportunities to navigate the Strait since the conflict erupted, with some operators prepared to accept higher risks and costs.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
The creative team is currently developing the treatment and preparing to engage potential partners about the longer version.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of prepare

Noun

People with the second phenotype, called durable, might have grown up in a predictable world—for example, a strict religious sect or just a family that experienced little change—and developed only certain coping strategies as a result.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Ren Faire, a 2024 docuseries Oppenheim shot for HBO about the succession crisis at the Texas Renaissance Festival, marked the apotheosis of this strategy.

— Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of strategy

Verb

Arizona stands out as the lone swing state among the president's recent stops, though the airport rally was in a county Trump won with 78% of the vote in 2024.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
There are many aspects about both Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti that stand out.

— Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of stand out

Browse Nearby Words

prohibits

project

projected

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

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Synonyms of project

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verb

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