as in schemes
a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends
incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed
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Recent Examples of machinations
All these machinations have the effect of firming up JoAnne and Duncan’s conspiratorial relationship.
—
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 May 2026
Democrats have questioned whether Vance’s role leading a federal task force would bring political machinations into investigative decisions by the prosecutors looking for fraud.
—Andrew Graham
april 30, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Amid social turmoil, three intertwining tales of disillusioned misfits collide under the machinations of an all-seeing institution.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
So far, Senate Republicans have shown less enthusiasm for condemning Daines’ machinations.
—Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
There are different accounting machinations used to move money around and manipulate space.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Concrete plans will be ironed out on Sunday (yes, Easter Sunday), one source with knowledge of the inner machinations tells THR.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Amid myriad double crosses and revelations, the various plot machinations converge in satisfying ways.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 3 Apr. 2026
The machinations behind the music industry often make for fascinating television, and that's the premise behind Japanese drama Dream Stage.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 May 2026
Democrats have questioned whether Vance’s role leading a federal task force would bring political machinations into investigative decisions by the prosecutors looking for fraud.
—Andrew Graham
april 30, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Amid social turmoil, three intertwining tales of disillusioned misfits collide under the machinations of an all-seeing institution.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
So far, Senate Republicans have shown less enthusiasm for condemning Daines’ machinations.
—Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
There are different accounting machinations used to move money around and manipulate space.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Concrete plans will be ironed out on Sunday (yes, Easter Sunday), one source with knowledge of the inner machinations tells THR.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Amid myriad double crosses and revelations, the various plot machinations converge in satisfying ways.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 3 Apr. 2026
The machinations behind the music industry often make for fascinating television, and that's the premise behind Japanese drama Dream Stage.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for machinations
Noun
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Working within different schemes tested Smith’s versatility and football IQ.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
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Trevor began imagining elaborate criminal schemes.—
Matt Thompson,
SPIN,
11 May 2026
Noun
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Wallace is particularly troubled by how quickly hantavirus was incorporated into the COVID-era health conspiracies and the distrust in public health authorities that still thrive in certain online ecosystems.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
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In Russia, indulging in such conspiracies is often less an exercise in political prediction than an expression of deeper anxieties that can be otherwise hard to express.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Double doors open onto an outdoor terrace and reveal a private plunge pool, a double daybed, and multiple seating areas, each ideally suited for enjoying a morning coffee or a late-afternoon glass of Corsican wine, overlooking the surrounding plots of lavender and olive trees.—
Rebekah Peppler,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2026
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He was protected by a large security detail during his appearance, as recent reports claim that the Kremlin has tightened its monitoring of Putin amid fears of assassination attempts and possible coup plots.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
9 May 2026
Noun
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The rich textures and thick ambiance of The Eyes of Others are pure high modernist 1960s Italian cinema, but De Sica unfurls the film’s winding intrigues with a contemporary sense of suspense, carnality, and visual boldness.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
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Plus the balcony is useful for intrigues and gossiping about the people below, as seen at Lady Danbury’s ball in season one of Bridgerton.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Machinations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinations. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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