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
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
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer has masterminded the charter rewrite, promoting it as a way to make county government more transparent and accountable to the public.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
Prosecutors say Robert Sabiron Rubillar and Liezyl Rubillar, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of Legal Systems Billing Solutions, masterminded the scheme.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
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
After reluctantly agreeing to be a temporary adviser, Jobs took over as CEO and masterminded an innovation factory that churned out the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad in a decade-long burst of feverish creativity.
—ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026
Court records show Wamuigah participated in a business email compromise scheme masterminded by Okechuckwu Valentine Osuji of Nigeria.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
As the story goes, fresh off university and broke in 1996, Ralph Anderl, alongside friends Philipp Haffmans and Harald Gottschling, masterminded the screwless invention, decided to apply it to stainless-steel eyewear and wore some prototype pairs to a gallery event in Berlin.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 Mar. 2026
Shelly Banjo, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer has masterminded the charter rewrite, promoting it as a way to make county government more transparent and accountable to the public.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
Prosecutors say Robert Sabiron Rubillar and Liezyl Rubillar, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of Legal Systems Billing Solutions, masterminded the scheme.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
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
After reluctantly agreeing to be a temporary adviser, Jobs took over as CEO and masterminded an innovation factory that churned out the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad in a decade-long burst of feverish creativity.
—ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026
Court records show Wamuigah participated in a business email compromise scheme masterminded by Okechuckwu Valentine Osuji of Nigeria.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
As the story goes, fresh off university and broke in 1996, Ralph Anderl, alongside friends Philipp Haffmans and Harald Gottschling, masterminded the screwless invention, decided to apply it to stainless-steel eyewear and wore some prototype pairs to a gallery event in Berlin.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminded
Verb
-
These are trade-offs that can be negotiated, at both the local and national levels, to benefit our communities.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
His presence caused periodic traffic jams as Washington police closed lanes and negotiated with him.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The jury found the algorithms are intentionally engineered to exploit the developing brains of children.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
-
Reports claimed that engines in this class are engineered to provide extreme acceleration, sustained supersonic flight capability, and high maneuverability during air combat operations.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
After Spirit Airlines ceased operations, in the middle of the night on May 2nd, a series of canary-yellow airplanes sat on the tarmac at Newark Airport, arranged neatly like children’s toys at day’s end.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
According to the victim, the suspect arranged the meeting and provided Davenport's address as the exchange location before stealing the laptop and running away.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead, the company plotted its own intergalactic toy line to market to young male audiences.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Authorities allege on July 21, 1993, Solis and two co-conspirators plotted a robbery of Guerrero, a narcotics supplier, at his Bronx apartment.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
These were teenagers, and they were manipulated.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masterminded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminded. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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