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Definitions

scheme

[skeem] / skim /
NOUN
course of action
Synonyms
STRONGEST
arrangement blueprint design device game plan pattern plan program project proposal strategy system theory
STRONG
chart codification contrivance diagram disposition draft expedient layout order ordering outline presentation proposition purpose schedule schema suggestion tactics
Antonyms
STRONGEST
disorder disorganization
NOUN
plot, maneuver to get result
Synonyms
STRONGEST
action conspiracy game plan ploy practice scenario
STRONG
angle brainchild cabal dodge frame-up game gimmick hookup hustle hype intrigue layout machination picture pitch proposition ruse scene setup shift story stratagem subterfuge tactics trick twist
WEAK
covin put-up job

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She also gave up on the neutral household color scheme and plenty of her cleaning routines, including daily vacuuming or attempting to keep the kids’ toys in their bedrooms.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

The bloc's decades-old Petroleum Security Agreement, for instance, a fuel-sharing scheme aimed at ensuring energy stability, has never been invoked and is purely voluntary.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

She clearly benefited from the scheme, they said.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

There is a proper place to regulate drug risks: the federal scheme Congress and the FDA designed.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

I had thought he would hardly speak to me, and I was certain he had given up the pursuit of his matrimonial scheme: the sequel showed I was mistaken on both points.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Vocabulary lists containing scheme

The Vocabulary.com Top 1000

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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)

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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry

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