as in negotiating
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 masterminding
Rebellion is one of the gravest criminal charges in South Korea, with the independent counsel recently demanding the death penalty for Yoon, who was charged with masterminding a rebellion.
—
CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
An earlier Times report noted that the home was built in 2003, with Sorrell Design masterminding the architecture.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
The former president has since been indicted for masterminding an insurrection, abusing power and attempting treason.
—NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
Read and two other women, including Jennifer McCabe, a suburban soccer mom accused of masterminding the cover-up, found him.
—Michael Ruiz , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 19 Nov. 2025
The British government has not publicly accused anyone of masterminding the hack.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 10 Nov. 2025
In addition to masterminding homes all over the world, Pentreath worked closely with King Charles to conceptualize and build Poundbury, the urban housing development in Dorset.
—Air Mail, 8 Nov. 2025
In 1988, the right-wing Cuban terrorist Orlando Bosch arrived in Miami, after serving time in prison for masterminding a series of gruesome bombings.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Polk, a longtime business partner of Jordan who was vice chairman of Hornets Sports & Entertainment when Jordan was the NBA team’s majority owner, is depicted as masterminding efforts to undermine NASCAR.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2025
CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
An earlier Times report noted that the home was built in 2003, with Sorrell Design masterminding the architecture.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026
The former president has since been indicted for masterminding an insurrection, abusing power and attempting treason.
—NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
Read and two other women, including Jennifer McCabe, a suburban soccer mom accused of masterminding the cover-up, found him.
—Michael Ruiz , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 19 Nov. 2025
The British government has not publicly accused anyone of masterminding the hack.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 10 Nov. 2025
In addition to masterminding homes all over the world, Pentreath worked closely with King Charles to conceptualize and build Poundbury, the urban housing development in Dorset.
—Air Mail, 8 Nov. 2025
In 1988, the right-wing Cuban terrorist Orlando Bosch arrived in Miami, after serving time in prison for masterminding a series of gruesome bombings.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Polk, a longtime business partner of Jordan who was vice chairman of Hornets Sports & Entertainment when Jordan was the NBA team’s majority owner, is depicted as masterminding efforts to undermine NASCAR.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminding
Verb
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Each affected hospital is negotiating with the union independently as not every hospital run by the three systems is involved.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
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Todorovich is focusing on enterprise-wide business models but is not placing buys or negotiating return to vendors involving returning defective, damaged or unsold merchandise back to the supplier or manufacturer.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But the city is plotting a decisive — if a little uneven — course toward a carbon-free future.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Lowe's merchandising and marketing teams have started plotting out a 12-month plan of items that the company bets could become trending products, with about three to five items debuting each quarter, Wilson said.—
Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Traveling around the world, arranging meetings with whoever is the oldest at that particular moment in time, Green struggles to formulate the right questions to ask these people.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
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Start with seasonal ideas, such as a floral-arranging class, pie-making challenge, pumpkin-carving party, or a paint-and-sip.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Using Henry's good nature … by lying to him, by manipulating him.—
Natalie Morales,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Uhlaender accused the Canadian team and its coach, Joe Cecchini, of intentionally withdrawing the athletes, deliberately manipulating the field to benefit one of their own sliders’ bids for qualification.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masterminding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminding. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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