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
Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Panelists will unpack the day-to-day challenges of designing action, the hurdles performers face on set, and the growing influence of stunt designers stepping behind the camera.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
As if that wasn’t enough, Twenty One Pilots also continues to demonstrate a skillful way of designing TikTok- and Instagram story-ready moments for fans of all flavors.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
The idea of clothes — especially expensive clothes — looking good on the wearer shouldn’t be a novel idea, yet recent years have seen some designers become fixated with expressing artistic creativity or generating shock value, rather than designing for wider appeal.
—Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
When designing a space, this is often where people get stuck.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
Those designing the new main building decided to cut that association, the aim being to make the first-team facilities an area players must aspire to enter.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The resulting relationship proved a fruitful one—though this doesn’t mean that designing a collaborative collection was easy.
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2025
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
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
Upon being tasked with designing a transportation network for fulfillment centers that handled millions of packages annually, Kumar was faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Panelists will unpack the day-to-day challenges of designing action, the hurdles performers face on set, and the growing influence of stunt designers stepping behind the camera.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
As if that wasn’t enough, Twenty One Pilots also continues to demonstrate a skillful way of designing TikTok- and Instagram story-ready moments for fans of all flavors.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
The idea of clothes — especially expensive clothes — looking good on the wearer shouldn’t be a novel idea, yet recent years have seen some designers become fixated with expressing artistic creativity or generating shock value, rather than designing for wider appeal.
—Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
When designing a space, this is often where people get stuck.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
Those designing the new main building decided to cut that association, the aim being to make the first-team facilities an area players must aspire to enter.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The resulting relationship proved a fruitful one—though this doesn’t mean that designing a collaborative collection was easy.
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for designing
Adjective
-
Norris portrays the cunning and relentless Chief Dennison, with Tripp as Liz Bradley, a border patrol agent with a true-north moral compass, in her first major film role.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Maigret must outwit some of Paris’s most cunning and violent criminals, while dealing with his own troubled past.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Oracle first began the process of planning its new campus before 2021, when an economic development agreement was announced by Nashville Mayor John Cooper.—
Molly Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
9 Oct. 2025
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In the midst of putting up your pumpkin decor and planning your Halloween costume, don’t forget that fall is a great time to upgrade your wardrobe.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But there have been signs that Kim has spent months preparing for a major parade in the capital Pyongyang, potentially at night and involving tens of thousands of people, according to the South Korean military.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
9 Oct. 2025
-
From vegetables and berries to whole grains and lean proteins, the freezer aisle is full of healthy foods that can make preparing quick, balanced meals a breeze.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There are also two new delightfully cute additions to the collection — a shiny gold pair that would look radiant on warm-tone complexions and a pair that’s as stylishly macabre as the others, only smaller in size.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The songs remind kids that costumes can be cute and colorful instead of frightening.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On October 7, 2023, as a terrorist army invaded Israel intending to commit genocide against the Jewish people, many world leaders rightly condemned Hamas’ murder, rape, and slaughter of Israelis and foreign nationals.—
Ofir Akunis,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The film follows an Arab man who arrives on a remote island in the North Sea intending to end his life.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Wells was also known for organizing clean-up efforts at cemeteries in historically Black neighborhoods, including Lincoln Memorial Park in Brownsville.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Duties include planning, organizing, implementing, evaluating and directing the work of employees performing non-filer work activities.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The very slick looking TK-02 from Terra Kaffe is $300 off as well.—
Noah Kaufman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The 29-year-old threw some slick passes, particularly a transition assist to Lively in the second quarter.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Get our best clever painting hacks to extend the height of a room, space-saving storage ideas, and tips for arranging bedroom furniture.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Oct. 2025
-
In other words, this year, the Eagles’ opponents are more often presenting four deep defenders against their three wide receiver sets instead of deploying a single-high safety and arranging the remaining defenders to play closer to the line of scrimmage.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Designing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/designing. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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