game plan
Americannoun
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a carefully thought-out strategy or course of action, as in politics, business, or one's personal affairs.
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Sports. the overall strategy of a team for winning a specific game.
noun
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a strategy
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a plan of campaign, esp in politics
Etymology
Origin of game plan
First recorded in 1965–70
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.
Fiji dominated the attacking statistics but Wales managed to contain them, while their set-piece superiority resulted in three of the six tries coming from driving mauls as head coach Steve Tandy's game plan proved successful.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
The game plan worked well enough in Game 1, where a mishandled puck led to Logan O’Connor’s breakaway goal early in the third period, a score that proved to be the difference.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
“Of the three people that would potentially make the call,” Marlins director of pitching Bill Hezel said, “only one of them has the actual game plan directly in front of him.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
"You feel for Arbeloa - his game plan was excellent, but a couple of moments cost Real Madrid."
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026
By some accounts, he had actually instructed Howard to make a few protests before ultimately agreeing to it so that no one would suspect his game plan.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.