Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

game plan

American  

noun

  1. a carefully thought-out strategy or course of action, as in politics, business, or one's personal affairs.

  2. Sports. the overall strategy of a team for winning a specific game.

game plan British  

noun

  1. a strategy

  2. a plan of campaign, esp in politics

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

"What is the game plan? Surely the Americans didn't go into this with no game plan."

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

On Tuesday night, the head of the US military's Central Command, Adm Brad Cooper, said the US-Israeli campaign was "ahead of our game plan".

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

“They should also have a game plan for what they would do if the relationship were to end,” Nix adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2026

"We will have another game plan for the Irish."

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

I wanted to talk to Coach in private, but he was writing in his playbook, probably making last-minute changes to our game plan while he ate his eggs.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

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.