Synonyms of machinations

machinations

noun

plural of machination

as in schemes

a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends

incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• schemes
• conspiracies
• plots
• intrigues
• manipulations
• subterfuges
• strategies
• trickeries
• designs
• stratagems
• maneuvers
• cabals
• counterplots
• artifices
• contrivances
• collusions
• frame-ups
• dodges
• systems
• rackets
• confederacies
• programs
• complicities
• counterconspiracies
• cover-ups
• drafts
• connivances
• ground plans
• gimmicks
• tricks
• games
• rings
• conspirations

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of machinations

Across two seasons packed with twisty machinations, Jung’s virtuous prosecutor Jang Geon-young attempted to pin down Hyun’s shamelessly corrupt — but effortlessly cool — intelligence officer Baek Ki-tae, only to be outfoxed at every turn. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026

That merger reduced the club’s holding in Barca Produccions and turned it into a subsidiary, though the year just past saw more share machinations. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

The sequel has none of the joy of the original, only the calculated machinations of studio executives and actors who won’t let their characters grow. — Britina Cheng, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

Understanding the machinations of the current administration and predicting its plans is too tall an order. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026

Hutton thoughtfully explores the gender dynamics of reproductive rights issues by making Val a not wholly unsympathetic middle-woman between the men in power and one of the women impacted by their machinations. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

The Heat are expected to carry only 14 players under standard contract at the start of their season, due to their position against the hard cap created by the machinations for the acquisition of Antetokounmpo. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026

Extrapolating from salacious and rumor-filled ancient sources, the novel offers an inside scoop into the machinations of the first Roman imperial family. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

Decades out of practice, Saxberger is assailed by writer’s block and confused by the machinations of a modern-day publishing industry that wants to turn his rediscovery into a branding exercise. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026