as in negotiated
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
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Recent Examples of masterminded
Cho also said that Yoon had masterminded a plan in October 2023 to suspend the powers of South Korea’s parliament and replace it with an emergency legislative body.
—
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025
Cavusoglu also masterminded an editor’s panel.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
Harding is calm under pressure, has run three different newsrooms and, having masterminded Tortoise’s Observer acquisition, now has some commercial chops.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025
The elaborate scheme, masterminded by members of four Mafia families in collusion with celebrity athletes, ensnared unsuspecting victims, bleeding them of over $7 million through cunning deception, prosecutors said in the indictment.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
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
To be sure, Ortega Pérez has masterminded the repositioning and elevation of the brand from high-street chain to cultural player through a robust collaboration strategy.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025
That trip, meticulously masterminded by head coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss, also saw their last Test match win on Australian soil.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025
Cavusoglu also masterminded an editor’s panel.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
Harding is calm under pressure, has run three different newsrooms and, having masterminded Tortoise’s Observer acquisition, now has some commercial chops.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025
The elaborate scheme, masterminded by members of four Mafia families in collusion with celebrity athletes, ensnared unsuspecting victims, bleeding them of over $7 million through cunning deception, prosecutors said in the indictment.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
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
To be sure, Ortega Pérez has masterminded the repositioning and elevation of the brand from high-street chain to cultural player through a robust collaboration strategy.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025
That trip, meticulously masterminded by head coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss, also saw their last Test match win on Australian soil.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminded
Verb
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Being threatened with a 500 percent tariff, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Sri Lanka had successfully negotiated down to 20 percent.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
14 Jan. 2026
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In the wake of Maduro’s capture — with repression continuing, prisoners still behind bars and Venezuela’s future being negotiated around oil and power — Ramírez sees the film as both testimony and warning.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The silky fibers are smartly engineered to absorb moisture and promote airflow, helping even the warmest sleepers stay comfortable all night long.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Matthew Stafford engineered the comeback with the winning touchdown pass, playing through a finger injury on his throwing hand.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The goal is to move all the disks to the last pole with them arranged in the same order—but each disk may only be placed on a larger disk, never on a smaller one.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The following month, Acebedo-Garcia arranged the details for the first shipment — 293 kilos.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But in wrapping up a six-month investigation last month, independent counsel Cho’s team concluded that Yoon plotted for over a year to impose martial law to eliminate his political rivals and monopolize power.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Investigators determined that Melton and the younger Austin plotted to kill the 55-year-old victim and took the pair into custody six days later.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Freedom from fear mattered because frightened societies are easily manipulated.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
-
In some cases, CBS News ran images through AI detection tools, which can be inconsistent or inaccurate but can still help flag possibly manipulated content.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masterminded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminded. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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