as in architect
a person who designs and guides a plan or undertaking
the real mastermind behind the embezzlement scheme
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer is an offensive mastermind, but is sitting in his first year of head-coaching experience.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Trish Deitch, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
When Hamilton refused him legal help, Reynolds told all who would listen that the Treasury secretary had masterminded his financial chicanery.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Noun
Every scam didn’t need a clever mastermind; in fact, many seemed to somehow spring from a collective imagination.
—Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer is an offensive mastermind, but is sitting in his first year of head-coaching experience.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
In any case, Grace, Hal, and the White House Chief of Staff Billie Appiah (Nana Mensah) go back and forth about how to deal with the impending leak that Grace Penn masterminded the bombing of the ship.
—Trish Deitch, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
When Hamilton refused him legal help, Reynolds told all who would listen that the Treasury secretary had masterminded his financial chicanery.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mastermind
Noun
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Brockman is leading the most ambitious (and expensive) infrastructure buildout in tech history, serving as the behind-the-scenes architect translating Altman’s vision into hardware, investment, and political capital.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
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No fashion awards ceremony would be complete without the iconic Law Roach, who made his own statement in a custom green suit accented with a tan bow tie—because the image architect always understands the assignment.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Khan blamed the army and the United States for engineering his ouster, and led energetic protests demanding immediate, fresh elections.—
Rafia Zakaria,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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Those sensors have also been engineered to self-clean throughout a journey so that snow and ice aren’t able to accumulate fast enough to disrupt the vehicle’s line of sight, according to Tretter.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This has given the conflict a religious coloration, and political elites have also chosen to politicize the conflict to negotiate power and other interests, which has complicated the problem.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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One head of a negotiating delegation told CNN they were being charged more than $20,000 for two weeks in a three-bedroom apartment.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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According to the outlets, prosecutors told jurors that Urick and Tara, then 17, plotted her grandmother's murder for several weeks.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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Gray and Rockett checked the bus schedule on Gray’s phone and began plotting their course.—
Dan Horn,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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These children are being targeted by extremists Khalid and Juneid—the latter being Yassir’s uncle—who plan to recruit and indoctrinate them into their militant movement, manipulating vulnerable youth with promises of faith and belonging under the orders of a mysterious leader known as Bhaijaan.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
8 Nov. 2025
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Bode’s comment was strictly in reference to the character of the Wizard of Oz, who uses propaganda to manipulate and deceive his subjects in Wicked.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The goal of the program, arranged through the hotel concierge, is to encourage discovery of the soul of an area through bold design, local culture, and meaningful connections.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
5 Nov. 2025
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Insofar as it is left to the invisible hand to arrange these matters, this scenario seems truly unavoidable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The key features of this vacuum are its lightweight design, self-cleaning and tangle-resistant brush roll, plus its slender silhouette for maneuvering under furniture.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
5 Nov. 2025
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Everything else works exceptionally well, from the smooth telescoping handle to the easy-gliding wheels, which maneuvered silently across carpet, flooring, and concrete.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mastermind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mastermind. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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