Meaning & use
plan B
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Meaning
nouncountableinformal
An alternative arrangement that you use if your first choice does not work out.
Grammar: Usually has an or no article: have a plan B; there is no plan B.
Patterns
- have a plan B
- fall back on plan B
If it rains, our plan B is to move the party indoors.
He had no plan B when the job offer fell through.
The coach switched to plan B after the star player got injured.
Word forms
| plural | plan Bs |
|---|
Common combinations
- have a plan B
- It is wise to have a plan B for the trip.
- fall back on plan B
- We had to fall back on plan B when the flight was canceled.
- need a plan B
- If the funding fails, we will need a plan B.
- switch to plan B
- The team switched to plan B at halftime.
- no plan B
- There is no plan B if the bridge closes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- backup plan
- Backup plan is plainer and slightly more formal, while plan B is a casual, familiar phrase.
- fallback
- Fallback can mean any alternative resource, not only a prepared arrangement.
- contingency plan
- Contingency plan is more formal and used in business, often covering a specific possible problem.
- alternative
- Alternative is a general option, whereas plan B suggests a prepared second choice after the first has failed.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: plan B or plan A?
plan B vs plan A
Plan An is the first, preferred choice, while plan B is the alternative used if plan A fails.
Practice
The picnic was rained out, so we went to ___ and ate at home.
Choose one answer.
Plan B means the alternative to the first choice. Plan A was the picnic, which failed; the other options imply later, less natural alternatives.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “plan B”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.