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
At the same time, other recent national trends – from the new redistricting wars to court battles launched by both blue and red states in response to Trump- and Biden-era policies – have underscored just how impactful the machinations of state governments can be.
—
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 18 May 2026
While JoAnne recoils from Duncan’s machinations, her son Orson finally bottoms out in the supplement pit of the manosphere.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 May 2026
But the impression throughout is of a complex work of fiction distilled down to broad-strokes plot machinations, to the exclusion of meaningful character insight.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Those intentions prove to be relatively short-lived, as personal tragedy and political machinations eventually drove both men down their familiar old paths.
—ArsTechnica, 13 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
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 18 May 2026
While JoAnne recoils from Duncan’s machinations, her son Orson finally bottoms out in the supplement pit of the manosphere.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 May 2026
But the impression throughout is of a complex work of fiction distilled down to broad-strokes plot machinations, to the exclusion of meaningful character insight.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Those intentions prove to be relatively short-lived, as personal tragedy and political machinations eventually drove both men down their familiar old paths.
—ArsTechnica, 13 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for machinations
Noun
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The most productive college players do not necessarily make the best pros—football is an endlessly interconnected game, with twenty-two players interacting within complicated strategic schemes, and the quality of collegiate competition varies widely.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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The Institute observed that a UBI program did not necessarily cause inflation; delivery system strength is key; an effective communication strategy is essential; the UBI program should fit within existing schemes; and crises shed light on the gaps in social protection systems.—
Carrie Brandon Elliot,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
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The former clerk had become the face of election conspiracies and attempts to undermine voting systems, Cutter said.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
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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
Noun
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There’s a long lineage of revenge plots in fiction and drama and film, of course.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2026
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Cinematographer Mátyás Erdély’s gaslamp wash makes the whole thing visually alluring, but the story up to this point is one of malformed double entendres, as Moulin and his cohorts react to more important plots unfolding elsewhere in the war.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 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 24 May. 2026.
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