mas·ter·mind
ˈma-stər-ˌmīnd 
ˌmas-tər-ˈ
: a person who supplies the directing or creative intelligence for a project
masterminded; masterminding; masterminds
: to be the mastermind of
Examples of mastermind in a Sentence
Noun
the mastermind behind the terrorist plot
the real mastermind behind the embezzlement scheme
Verb
They masterminded a unique solution to the problem.
He masterminded the bank robbery.
Recent Examples on the Web
Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 10 July 2025
Criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) plans to nuke the San Andreas fault, turning his cheaply acquired Californian housing empire into lucrative beachfront property in the process.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 July 2025
Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 2 July 2025
The league’s president of content and events has masterminded how to put on outdoor games, All-Star weekends, the Stanley Cup Final in a bubble and last year’s draft at the Sphere.
—Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Baham, a strategic mastermind, won unanimously in the finale over Makensy Manbeck, who dominated the challenges but fell short in her social game.
—Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 10 July 2025
Criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) plans to nuke the San Andreas fault, turning his cheaply acquired Californian housing empire into lucrative beachfront property in the process.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 July 2025
Verb
The series is based on a previously unproduced script by Sopranos mastermind David Chase.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 2 July 2025
The league’s president of content and events has masterminded how to put on outdoor games, All-Star weekends, the Stanley Cup Final in a bubble and last year’s draft at the Sphere.
—Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Cite this Entry
“Mastermind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mastermind. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share