as in negotiating
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care
he was charged with masterminding a plan to redecorate the suite of offices without seriously disrupting business operations
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Recent Examples of masterminding
The siblings have been there for one another since day one—and Austin’s even been instrumental in masterminding some of his sister’s biggest moments.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
2 July 2026
Last year, both Karen Read, acquitted of killing her Boston cop boyfriend in June, and Sherri Papini, who served time for masterminding her own 2016 kidnapping in California, participated in documentaries about their cases.
—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
18 June 2026
Bankman-Fried was convicted of masterminding one of the largest financial frauds in history stemming from the collapse of the crypto-exchange FTX.
—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Johnson was convicted of capital murder on March 19, 2003, for masterminding the 1999 shooting.
—
Kc Baker,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Then revive ancient accusations of Jews masterminding a political conspiracy and engaging in ritual murder and dismemberment.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
Adán Fúnez, a former mayor of the city of Tocoa, was captured at his home on suspicion of masterminding the killing, after years of accusations by religious and environmental leaders.
—
Marlon González,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Dior beauty experts will be masterminding the services.
—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
Among other things, Timerman was accused of masterminding a plot to establish a Jewish homeland in the remote Patagonia region of southern Argentina.
—
Juan Melamed,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
2 July 2026
Last year, both Karen Read, acquitted of killing her Boston cop boyfriend in June, and Sherri Papini, who served time for masterminding her own 2016 kidnapping in California, participated in documentaries about their cases.
—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
18 June 2026
Bankman-Fried was convicted of masterminding one of the largest financial frauds in history stemming from the collapse of the crypto-exchange FTX.
—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Johnson was convicted of capital murder on March 19, 2003, for masterminding the 1999 shooting.
—
Kc Baker,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Then revive ancient accusations of Jews masterminding a political conspiracy and engaging in ritual murder and dismemberment.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
Adán Fúnez, a former mayor of the city of Tocoa, was captured at his home on suspicion of masterminding the killing, after years of accusations by religious and environmental leaders.
—
Marlon González,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Dior beauty experts will be masterminding the services.
—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
Among other things, Timerman was accused of masterminding a plot to establish a Jewish homeland in the remote Patagonia region of southern Argentina.
—
Juan Melamed,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminding
Verb
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The board’s approval of his hire means that the government can begin negotiating his salary and benefits.
-
Vahidi has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in negotiating a possible permanent end to the war with the United States, experts say.
Verb
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Sources tell OutKick that Pitaro backed Mark Jones in 2020 when Jones falsely accused police officers of plotting to shoot him.
-
Lively accused Baldoni in December 2024 of harassing her on the set of It Ends With Us and subsequently plotting a smear campaign against her.
Verb
-
All these plans acknowledge the experience gap, namely that training without arranging relevant work experience is often futile.
-
Among DeJohn’s hobbies were flower arranging, collecting anything blue and white, gardening, and decorating.
Verb
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But Swedish intelligence recently alleged the country was manipulating economic data and that the true inflation rate could be much higher, perhaps as high as 15%.
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Fears of government officials manipulating world events – including the Iran war – to make a quick buck.
Cite this Entry
“Masterminding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminding. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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