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
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
Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2025
The majority — or 57% of the conversations analyzed — related to curriculum development, like designing lesson plans and assignments.
—Lee V. Gaines, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
The second part is about designing your work for delegation.
—Marco Argenti, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Del Toro had already spent nine months designing Garfield’s look and had just nine weeks to redesign everything for the taller Elordi.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Microsoft and its rivals Google and Amazon are designing their own chips to not only reduce reliance on Nvidia and AMD, but also to make their products more efficient for their specific requirements.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Founder Olia Rosenblatt and her team spent 15 hours designing the 3D wolf molds and constructing the cake, which was made from beef pâté, broth, liver, and other organic ingredients.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Yield strength describes the point at which a material permanently deforms under stress, marking the boundary between elastic flexibility and structural failure – crucial for engineers designing load-bearing structures.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
The Saratoga City Council member is an electrical engineer and computer scientist with an extensive background designing and marketing chips in the semiconductor industry.
—Mercury News Editorial, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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
The museum’s executive director Steve Gilreath visited over 30 museums in the process of curating and designing the space.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2025
The majority — or 57% of the conversations analyzed — related to curriculum development, like designing lesson plans and assignments.
—Lee V. Gaines, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
The second part is about designing your work for delegation.
—Marco Argenti, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Del Toro had already spent nine months designing Garfield’s look and had just nine weeks to redesign everything for the taller Elordi.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Microsoft and its rivals Google and Amazon are designing their own chips to not only reduce reliance on Nvidia and AMD, but also to make their products more efficient for their specific requirements.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Founder Olia Rosenblatt and her team spent 15 hours designing the 3D wolf molds and constructing the cake, which was made from beef pâté, broth, liver, and other organic ingredients.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Yield strength describes the point at which a material permanently deforms under stress, marking the boundary between elastic flexibility and structural failure – crucial for engineers designing load-bearing structures.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
The Saratoga City Council member is an electrical engineer and computer scientist with an extensive background designing and marketing chips in the semiconductor industry.
—Mercury News Editorial, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for designing
Adjective
-
These subsidies were cunning, part of a decades-long effort to keep alive the myths that offshore wind energy is nearly self-sufficient and generates increasingly inexpensive electricity.—
Craig Rucker,
Boston Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
-
However, her inner voice reveals a sardonic sense of humor, cunning intellect, and keen eye for details most people would miss… because Emily has a big secret.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Fast food chain Cookout is planning to open at least 19 new restaurants.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Anyone planning to bring an exotic animal into Kentucky is required to have transportation permit.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Broncos were without timeouts, so Nix was preparing to get in position to clock the ball and give Wil Lutz a field-goal attempt.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Virginia’s large population of federal workers is preparing for major disruption.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The brand’s Deep Trance Corduroy Pants are also a cute option to wear with some boots and a pea or trench coat this season.—
Shawna Hudson,
StyleCaster,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Best Toy for Imaginative Play Plant the seeds of creative play with this trio of plush toy veggies that are too cute to eat.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
City Manager Sheryl Long recently proposed expanding a city ordinance that would designate the city's transit centers as exclusively for those intending on taking public transportation.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Oct. 2025
-
In March, the couple decided to retire and purchased a home in Arizona, intending to make that their primary residence instead.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Hangers That Don’t Match Since her clients hire her to help create a clean, organized look, Tonia Tomlin of Sorted Out, a professional organizing company in Dallas, Texas, heads right for the closets and starts ditching all hangers that don’t match.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Certainly, some grassroots groups are organizing effectively.—
Sarah Stankorb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Johnson has always been a bit slick in the promotion of his brand; there’s something smarmy and politician-ish about his attempts to appeal to as broad an audience as possible.—
Richard Lawson,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Rosé’s distinctive voice lent a touch of vulnerability to the group’s slick choreography.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Elite Asian Matchmaker is a white-glove service that handles all the logistics, from vetting potential matches to arranging dates, allowing clients to simply show up and enjoy the experience.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The tour company optimized the schedule to match workers' paid time off, by arranging departure days scheduled around holidays or weekends, which minimizes the days a traveler would need to take from work.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Designing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/designing. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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