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
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
Preller indicated some of the machinations the Padres were considering throughout the winter are no longer on the table.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 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
The only meaningful connection made over the course of the movie is the one between its actors, whose inability to salvage their material does more to braid them together than any of the machinations of Day’s script.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
Lots of machinations to come on that front for Denver's coaching staff.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
Family connections ground the violent spy machinations of Made in Korea.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
But the memory of decades-long civil unrest, largely ended by a peace agreement signed in 2016, is still fresh enough to provide a real-life context for Teddy’s machinations.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 11 Jan. 2026
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
Preller indicated some of the machinations the Padres were considering throughout the winter are no longer on the table.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 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
The only meaningful connection made over the course of the movie is the one between its actors, whose inability to salvage their material does more to braid them together than any of the machinations of Day’s script.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
Lots of machinations to come on that front for Denver's coaching staff.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
Family connections ground the violent spy machinations of Made in Korea.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
But the memory of decades-long civil unrest, largely ended by a peace agreement signed in 2016, is still fresh enough to provide a real-life context for Teddy’s machinations.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for machinations
Noun
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The new era During the crypto boom of 2021, entrepreneurs put forth lofty schemes to remake the internet with decentralized plumbing.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
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Classical bit commitment schemes are essential building blocks for all sorts of other methods in cryptography.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Even if few of the wildest conspiracies found material support, his cultural imprint grew only larger.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
14 Feb. 2026
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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.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Medinsky has written several history books that focus on exposing purported Western plots against Russia and denigrate Ukraine.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
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The club met regularly, held dances, and provided burial insurance and cemetery plots.—
Dorothy Roberts,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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At 63 herself, Foster intrigues as well.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Machinations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinations. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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