machination

noun

mach·​i·​na·​tion ˌma-kə-ˈnā-shən 

ˌma-shə-

1

: an act of machinating

2

: a scheming or crafty action or artful design intended to accomplish some usually evil end

… backstage machinations and power plays that have dominated the film industry …

—Peter Bogdanovich

Synonyms of machination

• conspiracy
• scheme
• plot

Choose the Right Synonym for machination

plot, intrigue, machination, conspiracy, cabal mean a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end.

plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme.

an assassination plot

intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity.

backstairs intrigue

machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means.

the machinations of a party boss

conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery.

a conspiracy to fix prices

cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence.

a cabal among powerful senators

Examples of machination in a Sentence

incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed

Recent Examples on the Web

Thanks to the machinations of In the City confessional filming, Lindsay was on a coach in front of a green screen, and Kyle was in the building. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 May 2026

Democrats have questioned whether Vance’s role would bring political machinations into decisions prosecutors and investigators make about what cases to pursue. —Andrew Graham may 27, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026

The next machination was to split the teams and venues in 2020 under MSGS and Madison Square Garden Entertainment. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 26 May 2026

At the same time, other recent national trends – from the new redistricting wars to court battles launched by both blue and red states in response to Trump- and Biden-era policies – have underscored just how impactful the machinations of state governments can be. —Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 18 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for machination

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation