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
Among other things, Timerman was accused of masterminding a plot to establish a Jewish homeland in the remote Patagonia region of southern Argentina.
—
Juan Melamed, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is serving 20 years in prison for masterminding the scheme.
—Julie Carr Smyth The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 2026
Western officials say Russia is masterminding a campaign of sabotage and disruption across Europe.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Under South Korean law, masterminding an insurrection carries a maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
They are accused en masse of masterminding a multi-billion-dollar ripoff of federal funds.
—Robert W. Laird, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Bowers had spent the past few years masterminding bombings at Mississippi’s Black churches and, more recently, synagogues as well.
—Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Juan Melamed, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is serving 20 years in prison for masterminding the scheme.
—Julie Carr Smyth The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 2026
Western officials say Russia is masterminding a campaign of sabotage and disruption across Europe.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Under South Korean law, masterminding an insurrection carries a maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
They are accused en masse of masterminding a multi-billion-dollar ripoff of federal funds.
—Robert W. Laird, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Bowers had spent the past few years masterminding bombings at Mississippi’s Black churches and, more recently, synagogues as well.
—Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminding
Verb
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Marandi served as an adviser to Iran’s negotiating team during the 2015 nuclear talks and still has close ties to the Iranian government.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
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The sides having been negotiating since the summer of 2024, and the NFL had begun the hiring process for replacement officials last month.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Stuart’s prose is gorgeous and his plotting strategic; nothing is lost.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
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Patrick Reed has also left the circuit and is plotting a return via his performances on the DP World Tour.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Such pairings are one of Wilson’s strengths, his eye for portraiture matched by his skill for arranging images on the page.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Others kick things up by arranging private beach bonfires in the evening, catamaran outings by day, surf lessons with Engstrom Surf, and even customized tarot card readings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Another method involves manipulating routing through Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
4 May 2026
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However, manipulating elections or even giving the appearance of fixing an election is what an anti-Democracy person would do.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masterminding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminding. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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