1
as in to plot
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
a trio of courtiers who were discovered to be machinating against the queen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to negotiate
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care
the hackers machinated a way to steal credit numbers from the company's Web site
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of machinate
But Cleopatra, still machinating away in Alexandria, couldn’t handle the thought of Herod gaining any further traction in Antony’s affections.
—
Anne Thériault, Longreads, 18 Dec. 2019
Now a new scheme described by ProPublica and The Wall Street Journal involves families seemingly machinating to get an unfair leg up in paying for a coveted seat at a university.
—Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 30 July 2019
Anne Thériault, Longreads, 18 Dec. 2019
Now a new scheme described by ProPublica and The Wall Street Journal involves families seemingly machinating to get an unfair leg up in paying for a coveted seat at a university.
—Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 30 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for machinate
Verb
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At a news conference Wednesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged the two men plotted robberies over WhatsApp the day of the shooting and rode into the park on a moped at around 11:45 p.m., first targeting a 39-year-old woman sitting on a bench, grabbing her phone.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
6 Aug. 2025
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The tycoon, who is used to ruthlessly controlling everything and everyone around him at any cost, is also secretly plotting a major decision on his daughter’s behalf.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Brokers and dealers working more like Reynier in the days of La Réserve would take small parcels from the secondary market or negotiate parcels directly with distilleries.—
Mark Littler,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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President Donald Trump ordered federal employees back to the office five days a week in January, though many had negotiated remote work arrangements and some had even moved far away from their offices.—
Alana Semuels,
Time,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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However, the 2023 trial overseen by US District Judge James Donato revealed a pattern of scheming on Google's part to prevent the distribution of alternative app stores on Android phones.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
31 July 2025
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Meanwhile, a woman named Violet (Sharp Objects’ Eliza Scanlen, all grown up) schemes her way into a job as one of England’s first female police officers.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 July 2025
Verb
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Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can't be manipulated for political purposes.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
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Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As a fixer, Miguel has arranged interviews with El Mayo’s inner circle.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
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Interested buyers, their representatives or brokers can arrange for special tours.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This is precisely why some companies are back in the lab to engineer new combustion-free ways to consume flower.—
Benjamin Adams,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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As Falvey engineered a sale of much of the roster, the organization itself is navigating through a sale process.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Florida court contrived a weird and arbitrary compromise, granting new sentencing hearings only to death row prisoners whose sentences were considered final after 2002, when the U.S. court issued a decision that was a precursor to Hurst’s.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 July 2025
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Cool, contrived, controversial, captivating, contentious, curious, confounding — pick your adjective.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Machinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinate. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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