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
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when there were not enough ventilators for the patients who needed them, a team at NASA JPL was charged with designing a ventilator that could be rapidly produced without taking parts away from the critical medical supply chain.
—Michele Raphael, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Jude was established in 2024 by Jurgita Dileviciute and Denitsa Bumbarova, who both have extensive backgrounds in designing footwear and accessories.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
Each year, Jamie Beauchamp and Andy Reid spend months designing and developing a Halloween display for their front yard.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Nicklaus joined Nicklaus Companies in 2007 as part of a $145 million deal, but Nicklaus eventually quit and planned to continue designing golf courses on his own.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
The thing is, all her career, Björk has been designing everything.
—E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
The efficiency boost came from designing the rotors to be hollow instead of filled with foam, as is the case with most wind turbine blades.
—New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2025
As New York reimagines the canal for its third century, the artificial river’s environmental history provides important insights for designing technological systems that respect human communities and work with nature rather than against it.
—Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 15 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
Using fractional diffusion theory, the research deepens understanding of transient charging behaviors in complex materials, which is key to designing high-performance components used for advanced engineering electrochemical systems in general.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when there were not enough ventilators for the patients who needed them, a team at NASA JPL was charged with designing a ventilator that could be rapidly produced without taking parts away from the critical medical supply chain.
—Michele Raphael, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Jude was established in 2024 by Jurgita Dileviciute and Denitsa Bumbarova, who both have extensive backgrounds in designing footwear and accessories.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
Each year, Jamie Beauchamp and Andy Reid spend months designing and developing a Halloween display for their front yard.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Nicklaus joined Nicklaus Companies in 2007 as part of a $145 million deal, but Nicklaus eventually quit and planned to continue designing golf courses on his own.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
The thing is, all her career, Björk has been designing everything.
—E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
The efficiency boost came from designing the rotors to be hollow instead of filled with foam, as is the case with most wind turbine blades.
—New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2025
As New York reimagines the canal for its third century, the artificial river’s environmental history provides important insights for designing technological systems that respect human communities and work with nature rather than against it.
—Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for designing
Adjective
-
Fueled by vengeance and cunning ambition, Ashur rises from betrayal and bloodshed to seize power, gouging out a place for the House of Ashur in a new arena full of violence, desire, and twisted loyalty.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The elaborate scheme, masterminded by members of four Mafia families in collusion with celebrity athletes, ensnared unsuspecting victims, bleeding them of over $7 million through cunning deception, prosecutors said in the indictment.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The next year, eleven journalists went on to form the White House Correspondents’ Association in response to rumors that the Congressional Standing Committee of Correspondents was planning on selecting which reporters were invited to presidential news conferences.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
-
They had been alerted that Running Fence was planning to enter the ocean despite having no permit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Vietnam is preparing for damaging winds, flooding, heavy rain and storm surges in its central provinces including Danang, Quang Ngai and Dak Lak.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Two or three chefs work right in front of you, preparing each dish in the traditional omakase style.—
Aaron Randolph,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Mankinlu Maple Leaf Solar Pathway Lights As daylight starts to fade earlier, these cute pathway lights add both charm and function to your yard.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The easiest fix for the age-old struggle between cute and comfy?—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
After the death of his addict father, Ethan heads back to see if there’s any money to be made from selling his home, intending to stay, only briefly, with his aunt Sarah, Metcalf’s character, a Brunhilde of the high prairie.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Combs’ lawyers filed a two-page court document on Monday, October 20 intending to appeal his conviction.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This powerful synergy enhances detection, tracking, classification, and identification while also enabling autonomous drone swarm operations, including self-organizing collaboration.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The Church, which is considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, is best known for organizing pickets at soldiers’ funerals and emblazoning anti-LGBT slogans on protest signs and billboards.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The slick lobby was guarded by uniformed doormen and the elevator took me to a long polished corridor leading to a big mahogany door.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
-
But Ratanaruang’s most essential collaborator is, again, Doyle, who uses desaturated 16mm to evoke Sao’s past and slick digital cinematography to capture her present.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
E-commerce transactions are managed end-to-end without friction, from building a shopping cart and applying discounts to arranging delivery and processing returns.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Join Chloe Mullen, a junior at Cathedral Catholic High School and member of the National Honor Society, for a special flower arranging workshop.—
Kris Slugg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Designing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/designing. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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