as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a fraudulent scheme contrived by a group of greedy and designing people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in planning
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
early on she had designed to a top position in a major insurance company
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in preparing
to work out the details of (something) in advance
the foreman designed a better layout for the factory floor to improve efficiency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of designing
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
That means brands funding cooling infrastructure, working with workers and unions to establish robust heat-stress protections and co-designing transition plans with workers from the outset.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 5 Dec. 2025
That means giving up or sharing power and privilege and doing the hard work of listening and co-designing solutions with the marginalized groups.
—Setche Kwamu-Nana, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Nov. 2020
In the 1960s, the computing pioneer Grace Murray Hopper would hand out 11.8-inch lengths of wire to illustrate how designing smaller electronic parts would create faster computers.
—John Markoff, New York Times, 29 June 2018
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Apr. 2026
Career stuff aside, this aspect is also ideal for designing (or analyzing) a budget.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2026
The special effects supervisor on a movie set is responsible for designing and executing practical, in-camera effects such as explosions, pyrotechnics, rigs, and atmospheric elements.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
Engineers are designing high-capacity, secure data networks to support real-time information sharing.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
Kluge remained active into his 90s, writing books and designing art exhibitions.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Today’s top stories A Los Angeles jury found Instagram and YouTube liable for designing their platforms to addict young users, awarding $3 million in damages to a 20-year-old plaintiff.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
In Los Angeles on Wednesday, a jury found both YouTube and Meta, which owns and operates platforms including Instagram and Facebook, liable for harms to children for designing their platforms to hook young users.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, and YouTube, owned by Google, were negligent in designing their products and failing to warn users about potential harms.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Marvell’s business co-designing custom AI chips is usually what gets the most attention.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
That means brands funding cooling infrastructure, working with workers and unions to establish robust heat-stress protections and co-designing transition plans with workers from the outset.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 5 Dec. 2025
That means giving up or sharing power and privilege and doing the hard work of listening and co-designing solutions with the marginalized groups.
—Setche Kwamu-Nana, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Nov. 2020
In the 1960s, the computing pioneer Grace Murray Hopper would hand out 11.8-inch lengths of wire to illustrate how designing smaller electronic parts would create faster computers.
—John Markoff, New York Times, 29 June 2018
Verb
Eco effort Architects made sure to prioritize sustainability when designing this hotel, favoring energy-efficient technologies and geothermal energy wherever possible.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Apr. 2026
Career stuff aside, this aspect is also ideal for designing (or analyzing) a budget.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2026
The special effects supervisor on a movie set is responsible for designing and executing practical, in-camera effects such as explosions, pyrotechnics, rigs, and atmospheric elements.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
Engineers are designing high-capacity, secure data networks to support real-time information sharing.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
Kluge remained active into his 90s, writing books and designing art exhibitions.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Today’s top stories A Los Angeles jury found Instagram and YouTube liable for designing their platforms to addict young users, awarding $3 million in damages to a 20-year-old plaintiff.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
In Los Angeles on Wednesday, a jury found both YouTube and Meta, which owns and operates platforms including Instagram and Facebook, liable for harms to children for designing their platforms to hook young users.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, and YouTube, owned by Google, were negligent in designing their products and failing to warn users about potential harms.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for designing
Adjective
-
Past friends and former associates described him to me as an exceptionally cunning con man, a consummate charmer, and a womanizer.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Starring Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana, the film was shot on location in the Australian wilderness and features Theron as a grieving woman on a solo adventure who becomes the target of a cunning killer (Egerton) in a twisted game of cat-and-mouse.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One of the men accused of planning a mass shooting at a Pontiac, Michigan, high school graduation last June learned his fate in court on Tuesday.—
Alysia Burgio,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Lively seems to be planning a dragon attack, as referenced in her lengthy statement released after Baldoni's recent court win.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 2023, the company was preparing to release its GPT-4 Turbo model.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
South Africa is preparing the most sweeping overhaul of its migration laws in three decades in a bid to attract skilled migrants as part of efforts to boost moribund growth in Africa’s biggest economy.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Best Amazon Shoes and Accessories Deals Round out your spring wardrobe with supportive shoes, cute bags, and fun accessories from brands like Brooks, Kate Spade, and Kendra Scott.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
-
In the middle of the garden is a seating area with simple but cute second-hand furniture and a three-tier stone fountain from Backyard X-Scapes on Sorrento Valley Road.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tucker and her then-boyfriend, Daniel Ryan Garrett, broke into Dean’s apartment intending to steal motorcycle parts.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
On July 16, 1999, Kennedy sat in the pilot’s seat of his single-engine plane, intending to drop off sister-in-law Lauren in Martha's Vineyard before continuing to Hyannis Port with his wife for cousin Rory Kennedy's wedding.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Groups including Greenpeace and the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation are organizing a public class-action lawsuit describing the bill’s passage as a flawed process that dismissed public concerns over water safety.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
These include waking users, preparing breakfast, cleaning rooms, organizing household items, and operating certain appliances.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Low isn’t the first to do a curry-chicken potpie, but his version is rich and warm, with airy, shattery pastry reminiscent of roti, flaky and slick with butter.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
On his goal, Thomas swooped into the middle lane to dust McTavish and receive a slick feed from Broberg that sent him toward a vulnerable Dostál with speed for a rising shot.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But many booth owners take great care on their displays and spend their free time arranging their wares just so.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
6 Apr. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Designing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/designing. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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