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
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
Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 3 June 2026
The inflatable work includes a sound element created by Thomas Bangalter, one of the two masterminds of the French electronic-music duo Daft Punk, and had been scheduled to be on view from June 6 through June 28.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026
Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Johnson was convicted of capital murder on March 19, 2003, for masterminding the 1999 shooting.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Noun
So, what do the masterminds at Love Island have in mind?
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 3 June 2026
The inflatable work includes a sound element created by Thomas Bangalter, one of the two masterminds of the French electronic-music duo Daft Punk, and had been scheduled to be on view from June 6 through June 28.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026
Verb
At the time Chhabria made his finding in 2024, Ervin had been awaiting execution in the November 1986 killing of Carlene McDonald, who was slain in an alleged murder-for-hire plot believed by prosecutors to be masterminded by the woman’s ex-husband.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Johnson was convicted of capital murder on March 19, 2003, for masterminding the 1999 shooting.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mastermind
Noun
-
Worked on by architect Julia Morgan for nearly 30 years, the estate, which was never officially finished, includes 165 rooms and 123 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways, where Hearst displayed his impressive art collection.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Today, exactly one hundred years since the architect’s death, Pope Leo XIV visited the iconic basilica to celebrate a Mass and inaugurate the tower which makes the church the tallest in the world.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
But while objections to the idea of engineering immunity to disease have remained essentially the same over the last two centuries, their meaning has changed, transforming what was once arguable into the lies that drive our current peril.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Since then, the editing capability of CRISPR has been tested on everything from developing disease treatments to engineering drought-resistant crops to resurrecting genes of extinct species.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Canada negotiates lower drug prices for all its citizens under its universal health care system.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
The budget plan also includes seven unpaid furlough days over the three-year period, which would have to be negotiated with the union.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
An engineer plots a well’s falling output, fits a curve, and projects it forward.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
Prosecutors accused Yoon of attempting to create a crisis with North Korea while plotting an authoritarian power grab aimed at removing political opponents and consolidating control.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
All of which speaks to just how powerful these genre conventions are in manipulating the viewer’s experience.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
7 Dec. 2025
-
Another accused Beijing — which regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be incorporated into China, by force if necessary — of manipulating the election.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Songtams' guides can bring you to local temples and arrange cultural experiences to the Yunnan Nationalities Village showcasing ethnic minority cultures like the Yi, Bai, and Dai people.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
Jason Momoa, who was born in Hawaii, was photographed helping Lola arrange traditional colorful Hawaiian garlands, the leis, a tribute to her roots.—
Monica Coviello,
Vanity Fair,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
There is no way to maneuver or dispose of them if left abandoned in orbit after releasing their payloads.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
-
The company thinks this feature is more important now that military and commercial satellites can maneuver more often.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mastermind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mastermind. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
