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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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
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Recent Examples of mastermind
Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Some of the masterminds behind NBC‘s Saturday Night Live Season 51 brought the laughs all the way from Studio 8H to the DGA Theater to break down the process behind keeping the iconic sketch comedy engine running after more than five decades for Deadline Contenders TV.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026
Jennifer Cannon, Vanity Fair, 7 Apr. 2026
Its Scandinavian design was masterminded by a Swiss architect, and while the angles may be precise and dramatic, the furnishings are unabashedly hygge, with sheepskins, soft throws, and wood-burning fireplaces throughout to fend off the coastal damp.
—Ashley Baker, Air Mail, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Noun
Eight co-conspirators were convicted, with the mastermind sentenced to 30 months in jail.
—Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
Some of the masterminds behind NBC‘s Saturday Night Live Season 51 brought the laughs all the way from Studio 8H to the DGA Theater to break down the process behind keeping the iconic sketch comedy engine running after more than five decades for Deadline Contenders TV.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Sixty-five years ago, my grandfather masterminded a robbery at a historic Los Angeles estate.
—Jennifer Cannon, Vanity Fair, 7 Apr. 2026
Its Scandinavian design was masterminded by a Swiss architect, and while the angles may be precise and dramatic, the furnishings are unabashedly hygge, with sheepskins, soft throws, and wood-burning fireplaces throughout to fend off the coastal damp.
—Ashley Baker, Air Mail, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mastermind
Noun
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Nguyen and Akhavan also worked with architects and engineers to make the necessary alternations to Canada’s permanent building in the Giardini, while protecting the tree that it is constructed around.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
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The backstory Built by the late, great architect Kerry Hill for its first opening in 1993, The Datai Langkawi was one of Malaysia’s pioneering luxury jungle hideaways, and its reputation speaks volumes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Verb
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This allows for an ultra-efficient aircraft engineered for transonic laminar flow.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
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Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas within the materials sector, covering what’s changing in how fashion is made, scaled or engineered from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable substitutes and future-proof fibers.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Despite attempts to negotiate the Strait of Hormuz’s reopening during an ongoing ceasefire, the narrow waterway remains shut to virtually all ship traffic.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Olthof Homes successfully challenged a $100,000 penalty levied by the town in the Indiana Court of Appeals, so a lower fine was negotiated between the two parties.—
Amy Lavalley,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All the men were accused of plotting in South Florida and hiring a squad of former Colombian soldiers to violently overthrow Haiti’s president in a coup scheme that turned from his ouster to his assassination a couple of weeks before his death.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
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This was Boston’s first opening-round exit since 2021 (and only its second since 2016), so Stevens and his lieutenants will have more time than usual to plot their next moves.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Defense attorneys argued at trial that the investigation into the assassination was a mess and that the four were manipulated into taking blame for an internal coup.—
David Fischer,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
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Still, the video is raising broader concerns about how AI could be used to manipulate voters, particularly as increasingly realistic deepfake technology becomes more widespread.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Others kick things up by arranging private beach bonfires in the evening, catamaran outings by day, surf lessons with Engstrom Surf, and even customized tarot card readings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
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If the Leafs take Stenberg, and the Sharks want a defenseman and are confident that the Vancouver Canucks will select McKenna, maybe the two Pacific Division teams can arrange a trade.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The first responders maneuvered their vessel, the Windsor Police Defender, through the hazardous conditions and safely pulled both people out of the water.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
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Apple and Google, however, have more room to maneuver.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mastermind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mastermind. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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