mastermind 1 of 2

noun

ˈma-stər-ˌmīnd How to pronounce mastermind (audio)
Definition of mastermindnext
as in architect
a person who designs and guides a plan or undertaking the real mastermind behind the embezzlement scheme

Synonyms & Similar Words

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mastermind

2 of 2

verb

as in to engineer
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care he was charged with masterminding a plan to redecorate the suite of offices without seriously disrupting business operations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 mastermind
Noun
Denis Villeneuve is set to direct an upcoming Bond film for Amazon MGM Studios, with Peaky Blinders mastermind Steven Knight penning the script. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026 The Tigers will need to find an edge against defensive mastermind Mike Elko. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 23 Aug. 2026
Verb
Ferrell, who had an alternate offer, then masterminded an exit strategy. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026 After a series of personal setbacks, Ingrid moves to Los Angeles to be closer to Taylor, masterminding their meeting and worming her way into her inner circle. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mastermind
  1. architect
  2. engineer
  3. negotiate
  4. plot
  5. manipulate
  6. arrange
  7. maneuver
Noun
  • Nearly sixty years ago, the architect Lina Bo Bardi put the finishing touches on her own levitating concrete museum, Brazil’s Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP).
    — Katy Barkan, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The bespoke look by Who Decides War marks Osaka’s first time being styled by Law Roach, the image architect best known for his work with Zendaya.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of architect
Verb
  • More than just thirst quenchers, functional beverages are engineered to deliver a wellness punch with vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, electrolytes, probiotics and enzymes for gut health and adaptogens for mood support.
    — Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • View gallery - 4 images For decades, the recipe for a premium folding bicycle has been to engineer a smart hinge mechanism, choose your metal and fire up the welding torch.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of engineer
Verb
  • As Kroenke and Moreno negotiated a sale, change was already underway.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Ironically, the aesthetic language of the old colonial overlords helped negotiate between conflicting sensitivities and aspirations.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of negotiate
Verb
  • During the Hugging Face breach, OpenAI agents autonomously plotted a digital heist that went undetected for more than a week, intensifying concerns OpenAI is sacrificing safety to push the AI frontier.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Together, the data suggest a labor market in neither boom nor bust mode — one that is increasingly becoming an afterthought for Federal Reserve officials looking to plot their next monetary policy action.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of plot
Verb
  • Last Wednesday, Meta reached a settlement with the attorneys general of forty-seven states, who had sued it for illegally manipulating the attention of children.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The finding could matter for quantum computers, where lasers are used to manipulate qubits and even tiny changes in their interactions can affect the accuracy of quantum operations.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of manipulate
Verb
  • The case turned into a years-long legal saga, with multiple people convicted of their roles in arranging the hit, including Wendi’s brother, Charlie Adelson, and her mother, Donna.
    — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Britain’s populist Reform UK said two senior aides to leader Nigel Farage stepped down on Friday after an undercover investigation alleged the party had broken electoral law by arranging for a foreign donor to pay for political polling.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of arrange
Verb
  • However, their effectiveness may be limited when targets appear at close range or operate in environments where reaction time and maneuvering space are restricted.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Three more appeared to stop maneuvering after initial attempts to raise their orbits.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of maneuver

Browse Nearby Words

masterly
mastermind
masterminded
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Cite this Entry

“Mastermind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mastermind. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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