as in conspiracy
a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends
incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of machination
Brock addressed the audience via video conferencing, as did two others whose expertise is walking potential vendors through the machinations of doing business with NASA directly or by subcontracting with prime contractors, such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.
—
Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2025
Straughan trusts that the machinations of this notorious royal adviser and his king’s marital fecklessness, the consequences of which are still with us five centuries later, are fascinating enough on their own.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025
Why pull back the curtain on the inner machinations of the athletic department about 24 hours before their most important game of the season?
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Through executive orders, untested presidential authority and the machinations of billionaire buddy Elon Musk, Trump has thrown Washington into the sort of turmoil usually seen only during world war and economic catastrophe.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for machination
Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2025
Straughan trusts that the machinations of this notorious royal adviser and his king’s marital fecklessness, the consequences of which are still with us five centuries later, are fascinating enough on their own.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025
Why pull back the curtain on the inner machinations of the athletic department about 24 hours before their most important game of the season?
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Through executive orders, untested presidential authority and the machinations of billionaire buddy Elon Musk, Trump has thrown Washington into the sort of turmoil usually seen only during world war and economic catastrophe.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for machination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for machination
Noun
-
He was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion, six counts of honest services mail fraud, three counts of conspiracy to falsify records, 19 counts of falsification of records, and 17 counts of false statements.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
12 May 2025
-
The plaintiffs alleged that the petroleum companies also had participated in a conspiracy to deny that climate change is happening and to convince the public to keep using fossil fuels.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
12 May 2025
Noun
-
In 2021 and 2022, Robinson received about $76,000 through the bogus billing scheme, according to prosecutors.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2025
-
Hometown’s stock price rose by more than 900% during the scheme.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
The more than 2 million people who attended Lady Gaga’s free concert on Copacabana Beach on May 3, 2025, had no idea of a plot that, if successful, would have turned the event into a tragedy fueled by hate.—
Arthur Coelho Bezerra,
The Conversation,
14 May 2025
-
From people on TikTok discussing the lavender marriages in their own families to the plot of the 2025 Wedding Banquet remake starring Lily Gladstone and Bowen Yang, the ways that people have sought to survive broader societal homophobia are top of mind for many LGBTQ+ people today.—
Mikelle Street,
Them.,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Machination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machination. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share