cunning plan
1
5.0
- noun
:
plan astuto
- Apparently, his cunning plan of finding someone to get into a bidding war with us failed.
Examples
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All the scheming, all the cunning plans had added up to zero.
Fiction book (1990) -
Baldrick, I have a very, very, very cunning plan.
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Do not despair, for I have a cunning plan.
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So, with suitably low expectations, what is your cunning plan to get us home?
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It was at this point Mr. Forbes and Tom decided to unveil their cunning plan to gain popularity in Great Yarmouth.
Blog text (25) -
After weeks of plotting, they finally executed their cunning plan to take over the rival company.
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She devised a cunning plan to sneak past security and access the restricted area.
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His cunning plan to win the game relied on misleading his opponents with false moves.
Synonyms
516
3.0
A planned action to reach a goal
85
4.9
A clever trick used to gain an advantage in talk or negotiation
53
7.7
A clever trick to deceive someone
19
9.5
A trick or excuse to hide the real reason
13
4.3
A plan people keep secret to do something wrong
11
8.1
A clever trick that deceives people or hides the truth
7
8.5
A clever plan to trick someone and gain an advantage
1
8.1
A plan made to trick people
A clever but dishonest plan to gain an advantage
A plan that uses dishonest tricks to get an unfair advantage
How Clever
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a clever scheme, often deceptive' is directly derivable from combining 'cunning' (clever, often by deception) with 'plan' (a course of action). This adjective+noun composition follows a standard, transparent pattern that a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand, and similar constructions exist in many other languages.
Etymology
Cunning plan paints a simple picture: cunning means clever or sly and plan is a scheme, so imagine a sly fox quietly making a secret plan to trick someone. That's why it now means 'a clever scheme', often used 'to deceive' or outwit someone.