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
For her part, in March 2025, Ferbert completely betrayed her 2024 campaign promise to avoid political machinations as the city’s top lawyer.
—
U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Inevitably, however, the result feels like the character evolutions, machinations, and plot pivots of an entire series of the show compressed desperately into 112 minutes.
—Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
But as the first ballots of 2026 are cast on Tuesday — in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas — the broad contours of the House map have become clearer, along with the result of all those partisan machinations.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Drawing on thousands of pages of documents, emails, and text messages that have never before been seen on television, this limited series exposes the private machinations of a family torn apart by power, politics, and a desperate desire for their father’s love.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
There are times, though, when the filmmaker makes his machinations too obvious, as with the too-cute cross-cutting illustrating how the characters are all caught in the same web.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
With such broad big-brand experience, Mulier may be well equipped to navigate the machinations of Versace and the Prada Group.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026
What is clear, however, is machinations are under way across the league to offer up the best possible packages for the best possible player who has come to market in years.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2026
Lots of machinations to come on that front for Denver's coaching staff.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Inevitably, however, the result feels like the character evolutions, machinations, and plot pivots of an entire series of the show compressed desperately into 112 minutes.
—Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
But as the first ballots of 2026 are cast on Tuesday — in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas — the broad contours of the House map have become clearer, along with the result of all those partisan machinations.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Drawing on thousands of pages of documents, emails, and text messages that have never before been seen on television, this limited series exposes the private machinations of a family torn apart by power, politics, and a desperate desire for their father’s love.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
There are times, though, when the filmmaker makes his machinations too obvious, as with the too-cute cross-cutting illustrating how the characters are all caught in the same web.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
With such broad big-brand experience, Mulier may be well equipped to navigate the machinations of Versace and the Prada Group.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026
What is clear, however, is machinations are under way across the league to offer up the best possible packages for the best possible player who has come to market in years.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2026
Lots of machinations to come on that front for Denver's coaching staff.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for machinations
Noun
-
Ratta warns of schemes targeting grandparents.—
Jennifer Bisram,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
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The 22-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury came after a yearslong federal investigation and alleged Madigan participated in an array of bribery and extortion schemes from 2011 to 2019 aimed at using the power of his office for personal gain.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Kennedy has made no bones about his misplaced skepticism of mRNA vaccines, pinging off the proliferating conspiracies around the COVID vaccines — incredible innovations that saved countless lives during one of the worst global catastrophes in recent memory.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
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Of course, complicated government conspiracies, betrayals and high-tech weaponry abound.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Now a private chef whose social media posts are devoured by more than 1 million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok, Meehan grew up in Santa Cruz, California, in a home surrounded by wild blackberry bushes and a backyard peppered with peach trees and vegetable plots.—
Karla Walsh,
CNN Money,
8 Mar. 2026
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These plots require communication among Iranian handlers and those tasked with gathering weapons, selecting targets, and devising operational plans.—
Colin P. Clarke,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In The Corner That Held Them, rarely does desire raise its head as the nuns busy themselves with dishonest bishops, honest con men, collapsing spires, inconclusive visions, ecclesiastical intrigues, catty infighting, attempts at levitation, and the plague.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
14 Feb. 2026
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Even when insulted or thwarted – by Spanish intrigues on the Florida frontier, by British seizures in the Caribbean, by pamphleteers accusing him of being a monarch in disguise – Washington’s tone remained measured.—
Maurizio Valsania,
The Conversation,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Machinations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinations. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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