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
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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
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3
as in plan
a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective
a scheme to upgrade the city's mass transit system
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scheme
Jessica Puckett, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2025
The scheme was investigated by several federal agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
And Paul Heyman, former manager to both Punk and Reigns and a guy with his own vast legacy in pro wrestling (including various tenures with WWE, not all of them amicable), scheming to once again bet on the right hand.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scheme
Noun
Taxi and car rental scams also occur frequently, especially in Jakarta, Indonesia, where those schemes comprise 66 percent of the city’s travel fraud, as well as Bangkok (48 percent), and London (34 percent).
—Jessica Puckett, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2025
The scheme was investigated by several federal agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
In the most recent episode, the clans form a temporary détente at the funeral of Tommy Stevenson (Felix Edwards), with Conrad’s devious wife Maeve (Helen Mirren) scheming to draw blood behind his back.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
And Paul Heyman, former manager to both Punk and Reigns and a guy with his own vast legacy in pro wrestling (including various tenures with WWE, not all of them amicable), scheming to once again bet on the right hand.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scheme
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scheme
Noun
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The Republicans’ billionaire populism has always been a ruse.—
Jim Miller,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 June 2025
-
For the artist Christina Ramberg, watching her mother getting dressed for parties—in particular, putting on a corset called a merry widow, which gave her an hourglass figure—revealed the extent to which the female form was a ruse.—
Jane Yong Kim,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Another alleged the fight was a conspiracy between Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, to gain footing by leveraging the pop star's high-profile.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
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Bongino updated Fox News host Sean Hannity on the investigation into the Epstein file as conspiracies continue to float that he was murdered in prison.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Some health insurance plans will cover naloxone, and some state and local health departments may give out this medication free of charge.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
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Under the law, defendants who present a mental health diagnosis usually have their charges dismissed and records cleared after completing a treatment plan.—
Ethan Wolin,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Crucially, what matters—the criteria for selection, on which continued evolution depends—also changes, plotting a wholly novel course.—
Philip Ball,
Wired News,
8 June 2025
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In 2022, a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan killed bin Laden's successor, Ayman al-Zawahri, who also helped plot 9/11.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Captions are essential, especially on mobile devices or in quiet settings.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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And those devices, unsurprisingly, will largely run on AI.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
8 June 2025
Noun
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These changes were more than just rebrands: each new name came along with a fundamentally different business strategy.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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But, at this point, Edelman believes that advisers who value diversification as a strategy in their clients’ portfolio — eg, across asset classes, sectors, etc. — would be remiss not to recommend adding at least a small amount of digital asset exposure.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
Noun
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However, there is a trick for using both of these operations together.—
Paul Smith-Goodson,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Or is that all part of a deeper trick, a wilder swing?—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Gone are the days of just blueprints, prototypes and calculations, as engineering now revolves around efficiency, speed and precision in a world where technology is rapidly changing.—
Srinivasa Rao Bittla,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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The Golden Knights provided a blueprint for how the network would work with various teams in their local markets, with the wider local reach on free TV and a partnership for streaming access.—
Jason Clinkscales,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scheme.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scheme. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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