1
as in ruses
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 plots
a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends
a scheme to kidnap the president's daughter
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3
as in plans
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 intrigues
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 schemes
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
More than 90 people, most with ties to the state’s Somali community, have been charged in fraud schemes targeting social services.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Federal prosecutors estimate the state lost billions of federal dollars in recent years to Medicaid theft schemes.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 9 Jan. 2026
Next up, the government is going to give up managing Social Security funds safely and turn them over to private investors keen to profit from zany schemes like crypto and the AI bubble.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
More than 90 people have faced federal charges as a result of fraud schemes in the state that have been uncovered since 2021.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
At the same time, tonal schemes are gaining traction, Soft greens like olive leaf bring a sense of calm into entertaining spaces while deep hues such as burgundy, forest green, and charcoal add drama without sacrificing elegance.
—Colleen Sullivan, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Jan. 2026
Less time to scope out defensive schemes leads to pass-protection breakdowns.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
At the same time, other fraud schemes in state social service programs have been well documented.
—Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Matthew quickly schemes his way into Oliver’s orbit after that first performance, impressing and rankling the group of lackeys in his entourage at the same time.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
The 40-year-old cooks up ways to make quarterbacks miserable in his sleep, devising schemes that are meant to lure as much as they are intended to confuse.
—Verb
Chalamet embodies Marty’s arrant showmanship with an evident joy in performance, exactly as Marty himself schemes not only shamelessly but jubilantly.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for schemes
Noun
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The New York Colored American reported that some offers of short-term work for Black men — moving livestock to or from Kentucky, for example — were ruses that ended with kidnappings.—
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Many suspect a spam call and don't pick up the phone, leading foundation staff to sometimes devise ruses.—
Noun
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The two plots of land up for rezoning are near Anglin Circle and Enon Avenue.—
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Many gardeners grow herbs in their garden plots, raised beds, or in containers.—
Noun
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Attorneys and advocates have repeatedly criticized the conditions in ICE’s detention center in Aurora and have protested against plans to open more facilities in parts of rural Colorado.—
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Full stack Huawei has expanded its Ascend series of AI chips in recent years and plans to launch its next-generation Ascend 950 in 2026.—
Noun
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Travel safer and smarter in 2026 by stocking up on these 15 best personal safety devices for hotel rooms, Airbnbs, and even your own home.—
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Some brands, like Déesse, share before-and-after imagery of people who’ve used their devices consistently over weeks or months.—
Noun
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Trump has also repeatedly lashed out over the state’s incarceration of Tina Peters, the former county clerk convicted of state felonies related to her attempts to prove discredited election conspiracies shared by the president.—
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Contrary to what many may think, the researchers found no correlation between a person’s level of education and their capacity to believe in absurd conspiracies.—
Noun
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Combined, the alternatives present a good menu of tools and strategies for managing the river in the future, said John Berggren, the regional policy manager at Western Resource Advocates.—
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That could look like a lot of things — the city could funnel the buildings through Neighborhood Restore, a nonprofit HDFC, or the NYCHA preservation trust, or even through some form of tenant ownership, strategies that have been utilized at a smaller scale.—
Noun
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There is no one organizational system that fits every family and lifestyle, but there are some tips and tricks that help.—
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So what are their go-to tricks for creating a space worth hibernating in?—
Noun
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Bragg called on the companies to remove online blueprints, known as CAD files, that can be used to print firearms and gun parts without a background check.—
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In September, alternative blueprints were produced for their new ground without a canopy.—
Cite this Entry
“Schemes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/schemes. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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