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
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
Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is serving 20 years in prison for masterminding the scheme.
—Julie Carr Smyth The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 2026
Western officials say Russia is masterminding a campaign of sabotage and disruption across Europe.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Under South Korean law, masterminding an insurrection carries a maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
They are accused en masse of masterminding a multi-billion-dollar ripoff of federal funds.
—Robert W. Laird, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Bowers had spent the past few years masterminding bombings at Mississippi’s Black churches and, more recently, synagogues as well.
—Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 4 Feb. 2026
Rebellion is one of the gravest criminal charges in South Korea, with the independent counsel recently demanding the death penalty for Yoon, who was charged with masterminding a rebellion.
—CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
An earlier Times report noted that the home was built in 2003, with Sorrell Design masterminding the architecture.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
Juan Melamed, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is serving 20 years in prison for masterminding the scheme.
—Julie Carr Smyth The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 2026
Western officials say Russia is masterminding a campaign of sabotage and disruption across Europe.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Under South Korean law, masterminding an insurrection carries a maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
They are accused en masse of masterminding a multi-billion-dollar ripoff of federal funds.
—Robert W. Laird, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Bowers had spent the past few years masterminding bombings at Mississippi’s Black churches and, more recently, synagogues as well.
—Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 4 Feb. 2026
Rebellion is one of the gravest criminal charges in South Korea, with the independent counsel recently demanding the death penalty for Yoon, who was charged with masterminding a rebellion.
—CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
An earlier Times report noted that the home was built in 2003, with Sorrell Design masterminding the architecture.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminding
Verb
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The unions have been negotiating with the district for more than a year over wages, staffing levels and working conditions.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Asian countries’ energy and commodities imports have been strangled, and several are negotiating with Tehran for safe passage — a situation that could quickly become permanent, an academic noted.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In Minnesota, a man was sentenced to life in prison for plotting the murder of a real estate agent in part by luring her to a bogus showing.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
29 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, Cam is quietly plotting to reclaim his post, turning every misstep into ammunition.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Long before Manhattan's iconic street grid took shape, an English widow laid the groundwork for a settlement in Brooklyn, arranging a small village in what would become the United States into one of the first grid patterns.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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But arranging spheres becomes significantly more complex in higher dimensions, which allow for more arrangements and symmetries.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Full-palm tactile sensing allows the robot to continue manipulating objects even when cameras are obstructed or when precise force control is required, such as in assembly tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
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Orban started manipulating these grievances, and did so to significantly divide Hungarian society.—
John Shattuck,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masterminding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminding. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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