MASTERMIND Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

mastermind 1 of 2

noun

ˈma-stər-ˌmīnd

Definition of mastermind

as in architect

a person who designs and guides a plan or undertaking the real mastermind behind the embezzlement scheme

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Nearly ten years later, the show’s mastermind and star, Lena Dunham, has a child of her own. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026 Scott Keever is an entrepreneur, internationally recognized SEO expert, online reputation mastermind and Founder of Reputation Pros. — Scott Keever, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Verb

Davis was arrested in 2023 and indicted for masterminding the killing and providing the gun. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 Those meetings included Bolton, Galliano and Anna Wintour, the Vogue editor who masterminds the Met Gala every year. — ABC News, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mastermind

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mastermind

Noun

Co-founded by George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, the soaring biomorphic structure designed by architect Ma Yansong’s firm MAD displays Lucas’s vast and motley personal collection of figurative art.

— Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026
Selection panels should include makers, architects, fabricators, conservators, historians, and citizens — not only curators.

— Frank Porcu, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of architect

Verb

The company says the coated material can also be engineered to provide electrical insulation for specific battery applications.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
That unvarnished honesty, the willingness to take themselves down a notch, clearly resonated with the audience of young people accustomed to spending hours each day swiping through content engineered to mask imperfection.

— Antonio Ferme, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of engineer

Verb

Know More The Pentagon has negotiated equity or some equivalent, like warrants, in at least 10 companies since Cerberus cofounder Steve Feinberg was confirmed as deputy defense secretary last year.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Instead, the channels will have to negotiate deals as though they are separated.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of negotiate

Verb

The knowledge of how lunar craters form and evolve could prove useful as humans plot their return to the lunar surface for the first time in more than half a century.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
Moving forward, Le Silla has no immediate plans to open more stores, but Paris and London are top of mind as the brand plots its long-term international growth strategy.

— Katie Abel, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of plot

Verb

Here again, negative energy densities are conceptually valid, but the question of whether humans could ever produce and manipulate them in the ways required to bring Alcubierre's warp drive into reality is another matter entirely.

— Micah Hanks, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Lashify founder Sahara Lotti said his ability to manipulate the brand’s lashes and create different eye shapes first caught her attention through his work with Zendaya.

— Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of manipulate

Verb

AmaWaterways arranges pre- and post-cruise stays of several nights in both cities with luxury accommodations, cultural exploration led by local experts, and transfers between hotel and ship.

— Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
For this development, the team worked with two-dimensional hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites, arranging alternating organic and inorganic layers into precise crystalline structures.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of arrange

Verb

The vehicle will then maneuver its way to a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile about 10 hours after launch, SpaceX wrote in the mission description.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Because of the narrow and winding roads leading to the neighborhood, firefighters had a difficult time maneuvering fire trucks into the area.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of maneuver

Browse Nearby Words

masterly

mastermind

masterminded

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mastermind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mastermind. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of mastermind

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tactile

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes