as in architects
a person who designs and guides a plan or undertaking
the real mastermind behind the embezzlement scheme
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in engineers
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of masterminds
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
The inflatable work includes a sound element created by Thomas Bangalter, one of the two masterminds of the French electronic-music duo Daft Punk, and had been scheduled to be on view from June 6 through June 28.
—
Andy Battaglia,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
The Bungalow Kitchen comes from masterminds Michael Mina and Brent Bolthouse.
—
Nora Heston Tarte,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
These are two elite teams led by masterminds on opposite sides of the ball in Kyle Shanahan and Mike Macdonald.
—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
The pair come off less as cybercriminal masterminds than as galumphing galoots—that is to say, a pair of bumbling oafs who thought that asking AI how to cover their tracks was going to keep them out of federal prison.
—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2026
No criminal masterminds, the brothers had police wanting a chat within days.
—
Matt Thompson,
SPIN,
11 May 2026
Some of the masterminds behind NBC‘s Saturday Night Live Season 51 brought the laughs all the way from Studio 8H to the DGA Theater to break down the process behind keeping the iconic sketch comedy engine running after more than five decades for Deadline Contenders TV.
—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
The honorary degrees come their way after the Duffer Brothers achieved global success for being the masterminds behind Netflix’s hit horror franchise Stranger Things.
—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
So, what do the masterminds at Love Island have in mind?
—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
The inflatable work includes a sound element created by Thomas Bangalter, one of the two masterminds of the French electronic-music duo Daft Punk, and had been scheduled to be on view from June 6 through June 28.
—
Andy Battaglia,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
The Bungalow Kitchen comes from masterminds Michael Mina and Brent Bolthouse.
—
Nora Heston Tarte,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
These are two elite teams led by masterminds on opposite sides of the ball in Kyle Shanahan and Mike Macdonald.
—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
The pair come off less as cybercriminal masterminds than as galumphing galoots—that is to say, a pair of bumbling oafs who thought that asking AI how to cover their tracks was going to keep them out of federal prison.
—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2026
No criminal masterminds, the brothers had police wanting a chat within days.
—
Matt Thompson,
SPIN,
11 May 2026
Some of the masterminds behind NBC‘s Saturday Night Live Season 51 brought the laughs all the way from Studio 8H to the DGA Theater to break down the process behind keeping the iconic sketch comedy engine running after more than five decades for Deadline Contenders TV.
—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
The honorary degrees come their way after the Duffer Brothers achieved global success for being the masterminds behind Netflix’s hit horror franchise Stranger Things.
—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
The same studio that produced the Godzilla franchise, Toho, masterminds one of the most horrifying and disturbingly humorous psychedelic films to date.
—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminds
Noun
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Arsenia hopes the milestone will include a yearlong series of events highlighting Black architects, builders, scientists and artists whose contributions helped shape communities across the country.
-
The new London Museum was designed by Stanton Williams and Asif Khan in collaboration with the conservation architects Julian Harrap.
Verb
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Our enterprising Gravedigger, a true woman of science, engineers a lizard elixir and regenerates the finger into a long tentacle that eventually demands a body.
-
Setup is seamless thanks to AI Sonic Auto Room Calibration, which engineers the audio to your specific space.
Verb
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While Burnham plots his next move, the UK government now enters a new period of uncertainty, potentially facing a sixth prime minister in seven years.
-
An engineer plots a well’s falling output, fits a curve, and projects it forward.
Verb
-
Canada negotiates lower drug prices for all its citizens under its universal health care system.
-
The fundraising comes as SpaceX negotiates to pay razor-thin fees to the Wall Street firms, though banks are still likely to rake in about $500 million.
Verb
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Crystal’s fluid staging, full of agile and vibrant design choices, smoothly maneuvers the action.
-
Master maneuvers examiners score highest, such as properly changing lanes, parallel parking and three-point turns.
Verb
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Okorie is the best driving guard in the class, a 6-1 jitterbug who manipulates defenders with a tight handle, sudden changes of speed, and an advanced feel for the game.
-
Facial massage manipulates big muscles in the face, such as the masseters, temporalis and platysma, as well as fascia.
Verb
-
And then someone arranges logistics and provides the weapon.
-
Aria even has a musical director, who arranges performances and special events and compiles soundtracks for individual stays.
Cite this Entry
“Masterminds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminds. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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