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
What happens to her — a deadly warning from the man’s criminal boss father — sets in motion two generations of retribution masterminded by one of the cruelest characters Burton has given us.
—
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Cuban officials on Friday said the attack had been masterminded by Maritza Lugo Fernandez, an exile and former political prisoner in Cuba.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
The most wearable take was found at Emilia Wickstead, where brows were brushed up to enhance the very minimal makeup look, masterminded by makeup artist Amy Conway.
—Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2026
The Los Angeles Lakers have unveiled a statue of Pat Riley outside their downtown arena to honor the head coach who masterminded their Showtime championship era.
—CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
The explosive intrigue around Kendall Jenner’s living-room-anchoring chintz floral sectional, masterminded by AD100 designer Heidi Callier, epitomises this shift.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Feb. 2026
Brooks was the coach who masterminded the team’s epic journey to become Olympic champions.
—Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
The event was masterminded by Marco Balich, chairman of Balich Wonder Studio.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 7 Feb. 2026
But for our purposes, what’s important is that Trevor never masterminded any bombings.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Cuban officials on Friday said the attack had been masterminded by Maritza Lugo Fernandez, an exile and former political prisoner in Cuba.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
The most wearable take was found at Emilia Wickstead, where brows were brushed up to enhance the very minimal makeup look, masterminded by makeup artist Amy Conway.
—Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2026
The Los Angeles Lakers have unveiled a statue of Pat Riley outside their downtown arena to honor the head coach who masterminded their Showtime championship era.
—CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
The explosive intrigue around Kendall Jenner’s living-room-anchoring chintz floral sectional, masterminded by AD100 designer Heidi Callier, epitomises this shift.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Feb. 2026
Brooks was the coach who masterminded the team’s epic journey to become Olympic champions.
—Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
The event was masterminded by Marco Balich, chairman of Balich Wonder Studio.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 7 Feb. 2026
But for our purposes, what’s important is that Trevor never masterminded any bombings.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminded
Verb
-
On Monday, Corinne Tapia Babcock, one of the four commissioners stepping down, said that by the time items come to the board, they often have already been negotiated by the fire chief, the mayor and the City Council.—
Paul Pringle,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
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Improving transparency could include showing how prices vary by pharmacy or region, how discounts are negotiated and how insurance compares with cash prices.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These are lightweight, porous structures engineered using renewable resources and advanced nanotechnology.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
-
It was engineered over decades.—
Dan Bilefsky,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Each bride’s dress has been billowed out and arranged around her in a circle, and these white figures are scattered at irregular intervals throughout the green field.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The financing for the upgrade will be in the form of credit arranged by Citibank and will generate supply contracts worth $314 million for British firms, the UK government said, including a $93 million contract for British Steel.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Based on the second novel in Freida McFadden’s novel series, The Housemaid’s Secret sees Sydney Sweeney’s Millie Calloway, the housemaid with a troubled past, uncovering a deadly scheme plotted by her employer, Wendy Garrick, who manipulates events to frame Millie for murder.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
15 Mar. 2026
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Justin Bieber has had multiple stalkers, including a New Mexico man and his nephew who plotted to murder and castrate the pop singer in 2013.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Warren cited the possibility that Grok could leak classified information to adversaries, be manipulated based on biased or inaccurate data, or lack critical safety controls and put service members in danger.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The situation might have been manipulated but their reactions remain natural even if slightly tentative.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masterminded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminded. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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