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
Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 5 Dec. 2025
Broadcom shares have surged as Wall Street positions the chipmaker as a play on Alphabet’s growing AI dominance, thanks to Broadcom’s role in co-designing Google’s custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) that power the new standout Gemini 3 artificial intelligence model.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 26 Nov. 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
Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
After designing Bessette-Kennedy’s dress, Rodriguez launched his own label and a fragrance line, and has continued to create designs that are woven into the fabric of American history — Michelle Obama wore his dress on election night in 2008.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
While designing these workshops, Tejeda considered immigrants who haven’t seen their homelands in many years.
—Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
First, a manufacturer has a duty to exercise reasonable care in designing its product, and that duty extends to harms that are reasonably foreseeable.
—Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2026
Furniture, rugs, and throw cushions aren't the only furnishings that matter when designing a living room.
—Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
Weston told him about his idea for designing a device to detect a helium leak, should there ever be one.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026
But Armstrong has managed to incorporate everything seamlessly, designing a peaceful, beautiful — and most importantly, low-maintenance — garden space.
—Lennie Omalza, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Mar. 2026
The design team might need to accommodate other needs, too, like designing cabinetry to accommodate older clients, raising washing machines and dryers to keep them from straining to remove clothes and moving them.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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
Broadcom shares have surged as Wall Street positions the chipmaker as a play on Alphabet’s growing AI dominance, thanks to Broadcom’s role in co-designing Google’s custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) that power the new standout Gemini 3 artificial intelligence model.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 26 Nov. 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
That means the public officials designing the dredging project have a stark choice to make, scientists say.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
After designing Bessette-Kennedy’s dress, Rodriguez launched his own label and a fragrance line, and has continued to create designs that are woven into the fabric of American history — Michelle Obama wore his dress on election night in 2008.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
While designing these workshops, Tejeda considered immigrants who haven’t seen their homelands in many years.
—Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
First, a manufacturer has a duty to exercise reasonable care in designing its product, and that duty extends to harms that are reasonably foreseeable.
—Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2026
Furniture, rugs, and throw cushions aren't the only furnishings that matter when designing a living room.
—Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
Weston told him about his idea for designing a device to detect a helium leak, should there ever be one.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026
But Armstrong has managed to incorporate everything seamlessly, designing a peaceful, beautiful — and most importantly, low-maintenance — garden space.
—Lennie Omalza, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Mar. 2026
The design team might need to accommodate other needs, too, like designing cabinetry to accommodate older clients, raising washing machines and dryers to keep them from straining to remove clothes and moving them.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for designing
Adjective
-
In state media comedy shows, jokes about Putin are told from time to time, but they are used to bolster his image as a powerful, cunning leader, and hold up Russia as a great country.—
Neringa Klumbytė,
The Conversation,
4 Mar. 2026
-
These ambitious, cunning, and often amoral Cold War operatives were usually marginal or even inconsequential figures at home.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While gardeners often gravitate toward evergreen foliage when planning for year-round color, there are many other sources of beauty to enhance the garden from one season to the next.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Mia is planning a hopeful birthday party for Alex and Dailyn has her ideas about what that should and should not be.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After a flight failure in March 2025, the German firm, Isar Aerospace, is preparing for its second Spectrum launch, currently scheduled for no earlier than March 19, 2026, from Andøya, Norway.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The program is preparing students to work at such cyber-centric institutions as Naval Information Warfare Systems Command and Booz Allen Hamilton.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This cute mini skort can be worn with any top already in your wardrobe, or with the Gap crop tank top as a matching set.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The idea of putting a cute sticker on your body every day to take a supplement seems fun in theory.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Heo re-holstered his Taser, intending to apprehend Best by grabbing or tackling him, Prescott said.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Cobb admitted to shooting a handgun inside of the club, intending to harm one victim, according to an arrest report.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Drucilla Ramirez, a third grade bilingual teacher and organizing chair for the union, said some classes have as many as 34 students and teachers don’t have aides in the classroom.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The most common uses reported were answering etiquette questions, managing timelines and to-dos, writing wedding website copy, and organizing budgets.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Jared Wright skated it down and turned back a slick pass for Laughton, whose whirling, sharp-angle bid beat Dobeš improbably to the far side.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In the end, such planning was rendered redundant by a combination of VAR and slick Chelsea play in extra time, leaving Wrexham to focus on perhaps making this fixture an annual event in the Premier League.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Authorities conducted a sting operation in September, arranging to meet her in a hotel room that Mays rented.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
All that interior volume should inspire some serious creativity in terms of arranging different floor plans.—
C.C. Weiss
March 05,
New Atlas,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Designing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/designing. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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