mastermind

1 of 2

noun

mas·​ter·​mind ˈma-stər-ˌmīnd How to pronounce mastermind (audio)
ˌmas-tər-ˈ
: a person who supplies the directing or creative intelligence for a project

mastermind

2 of 2

verb

masterminded; masterminding; masterminds

transitive verb

: 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
Noun
Federal prosecutors on Monday painted one-time British tech star Mike Lynch as the ruthless mastermind of an $11 billion deal that defrauded Silicon Valley pioneer Hewlett Packard. Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 The pianist and musical mastermind behind timeless hits from stars like Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, recently helped Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti create his new offering. Janine Rubenstein, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Fashion x Film: Careers in Costume Design The talented fashion masterminds behind some of today’s biggest films and TV shows take us inside the creative process that drives the art of costume design. Essence, 9 Mar. 2024 That for-profit company took OpenAI from worthless to a valuation of $90 billion in just a few years — and Altman is largely credited as the mastermind of that plan and the key to the company’s success. David Goldman, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 That for-profit company took OpenAI from effectively worthless to a valuation of $90 billion in just a few years — and Altman is largely credited as the mastermind of that plan and the key to the company’s success. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Richard Attenborough, Samuel L. Jackson A policeman (Arnold Schwarzenegger) must pose as a kindergarten teacher to catch a ruthless drug dealer (Richard Tyson) and his mastermind mother (a brilliant Carroll Baker). EW.com, 2 Mar. 2024 The mastermind behind the promotion of biodiversity in our wineries was my sister Caterina, who at the end of 2002 immediately decided to convert La Raia to organic and biodynamic farming, anticipating by far what has become a big trend in the farming industry in the recent years. John Mariani, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Elegant, organic design meets a mastermind in marketing: The perfect balance. Sam Reed, Glamour, 9 Feb. 2024
Verb
In the final round, prior to the Arab Spring of 2011, the Houthis were bombed by Saudi Arabia, and accused the U.S. of masterminding the conflict. Nicolas Niarchos, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024 Nicolas Shaughnessy and Jaclyn Edison Travis County DA's Office Over the next three months, police would come to believe Nicolas and Edison had masterminded the attack and on May 29, 2018, authorities arrested them for criminal solicitation in the murder of Ted Shaughnessy. Josh Yager, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2024 The Fox host Jesse Watters even flirted with the speculation, floating the idea that Swift’s success was a psyop masterminded by the Defense Department. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2024 Zaheer was a serious under-the-radar threat, ingratiating himself with everyone while secretly masterminding several big votes post-merge. Ben Rosenstock, TIME, 26 Feb. 2024 The seat-rattling nuclear weapon detonation masterminded by J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) evokes peak dread, but even seemingly mundane sequences demanded deep dives from King and his team. Hugh Hart, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024 His Colts, featuring an elite offense and an opportunistic defense masterminded by coach Tony Dungy, won their first 13 games. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2024 Following a plan masterminded by Yahya Sinwar, a Hamas leader born to a family forced out of Al-Majdal, Palestinian militants invaded Israel at nearly 30 points along the Gazan border. Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2024 The former hotel worker was found guilty of allegedly masterminding the murder of his boss. Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mastermind.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1872, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mastermind was in 1872

Dictionary Entries Near mastermind

Cite this Entry

“Mastermind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mastermind. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mastermind

noun
mas·​ter·​mind
ˈmas-tər-ˌmīnd,
ˌmas-tər-ˈmīnd
: a person who invents or directs a project
mastermind verb

More from Merriam-Webster on mastermind

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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