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
Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
These are two elite teams led by masterminds on opposite sides of the ball in Kyle Shanahan and Mike Macdonald.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Howard Walker, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2026
O’Neill masterminded Nike’s pivot away from wholesale, a move that ended badly when retailers started carrying all of Nike’s competitors instead, and oversaw its women’s business, which never matched its men’s line.
—Shelly Banjo, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Noun
Isaiah is clearly still in pursuit of Coltrane and the criminal mastermind still has the cartel after him, too, but Netflix has yet to confirm a Nemesis season 2.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
These are two elite teams led by masterminds on opposite sides of the ball in Kyle Shanahan and Mike Macdonald.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Verb
Yet after the designer of the original P1’s exterior, Paul Howse, was called in to mastermind the complex makeover, just five cars were converted.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2026
O’Neill masterminded Nike’s pivot away from wholesale, a move that ended badly when retailers started carrying all of Nike’s competitors instead, and oversaw its women’s business, which never matched its men’s line.
—Shelly Banjo, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mastermind
Noun
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The blueprints were drawn up by Uruguayan architect Álvaro Pérez Azar, who also sourced and restored local vintage pieces of furniture.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
-
Visitors are not just stepping inside a historic church, but into a building still being completed by later generations of architects, craftspeople and engineers.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
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But building a factory in a region that gave birth to brands like Mercedes-Benz and Porsche also gave him access to engineering talent from top schools in a land of universal health care and a strong social safety net.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
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The astronauts flew in a spacecraft designed and engineered at Lockheed Martin in Jefferson County.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The museum itself has a number of levels to negotiate, so wear comfortable shoes and avoid bringing a stroller.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
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Iran's Fars news agency said the United States and Iran are negotiating whether the United States and its allies would not attack Iran or its supporters, which include Hezbollah in Lebanon, while Iran would pledge not to launch preemptive attacks.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Consultants and clients use data about the climate, finance, social instability, wars, and so on to plan their assets, and using AI, Kurant plotted parameters and visualized these data points.—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
24 May 2026
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At a true farmers market, you’ll likely spot chefs inspecting greens, tasting fruits and plotting that night’s specials — the same approach is available to home cooks willing to shop seasonally and ask questions.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Her husband manipulates her, her best friend hates her, her sister derides her; her entire existence is thin and precarious.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
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Plenty of skilled directors can manipulate tension and fear while still poking us toward nervous laughter.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
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During my stay, the hotel arranged a private omakase dinner inside the residence from Nama, Aman’s Japanese restaurant that’s reserved for hotel guests and Aman Club Founders.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
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Zepbound injection pen arranged in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Thursday, March 28, 2024.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
Verb
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In response, the women maneuvered their craft behind some brush, hiding from the soldiers gawping at them from the bank.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
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In their absence, calls for accelerated exit will sound like moral instruction from countries with greater room to maneuver.—
London Business School,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mastermind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mastermind. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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