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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of machinations
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
Whereas the original echoed the devastation that Japan suffered and warned against future atomic tests, in Returns Godzilla is revived due to the machinations of the United States and the Soviet’s nuclear programs.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Trump, as is his want, is just doing the normal thing without the usual white niceties that come with imperialist machinations.
—Elie Mystal, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Worse for fans, the franchise was up for sale, and after a complicated series of machinations, now appears to have only one more year at Mohegan Sun before removal to Houston.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2026
Starmer celebrated the bureaucratic machinations of this case—granting automatic citizenship by descent and then securing the end of Abd el-Fattah’s travel ban—without enough attention to the politics.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
As the film tracks Clark Kent navigating a public increasingly skeptical of Superman's unchecked strength — while Lex Luthor’s machinations test the limits of truth, tech, and influence — Gathegi’s Mister Terrific operates in the grey area where ethics meet engineering.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 30 Dec. 2025
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
Whereas the original echoed the devastation that Japan suffered and warned against future atomic tests, in Returns Godzilla is revived due to the machinations of the United States and the Soviet’s nuclear programs.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Trump, as is his want, is just doing the normal thing without the usual white niceties that come with imperialist machinations.
—Elie Mystal, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Worse for fans, the franchise was up for sale, and after a complicated series of machinations, now appears to have only one more year at Mohegan Sun before removal to Houston.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2026
Starmer celebrated the bureaucratic machinations of this case—granting automatic citizenship by descent and then securing the end of Abd el-Fattah’s travel ban—without enough attention to the politics.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
As the film tracks Clark Kent navigating a public increasingly skeptical of Superman's unchecked strength — while Lex Luthor’s machinations test the limits of truth, tech, and influence — Gathegi’s Mister Terrific operates in the grey area where ethics meet engineering.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for machinations
Noun
-
Officials say the scammers' schemes range from the savvy to the sloppy -- and all are brazen.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In Minnesota, investigators and journalists have raised serious questions about fraud schemes tied to networks that disproportionately benefited non-citizens, while the families actually paying into the system were left footing the bill.—
Jennifer Nassour,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The economic summit has long attracted criticism and conspiracies for convening global celebrities, business leaders and political elite in a Swiss resort town.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
16 Jan. 2026
-
However, pro athletes earning millions of dollars a year have been accused of joining these conspiracies.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In all plots, black circles represent the mean value of each environmental variables at each site, and the lines the SD.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Some films linger in our minds because of their sharp plots, quotable one-liners and unforgettable characters.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
