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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of masterminds
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
Once enlisted, recruits rarely meet the masterminds behind the crimes, instead receiving instructions through handlers online.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Mommy Pai’s, the latest venture from the masterminds behind Thai Diner and the late Uncle Boons, seems to follow this road map—on paper, at least.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Unlike high-cost advisors or one-size-fits-all masterminds, these tools offer flexibility to adapt as income changes and knowledge grows.
—Alejandra Rojas, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
All of the top brass attended this meeting, and everyone involved credited my partner Ricky and me as the masterminds behind the massive seizure.
—Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
The court also issued a warrant for Hamas official Mohammed Deif, who Israel said was one of the masterminds of the October 7 attack.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Owen suspects his soon-to-be in-laws (Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin) as the masterminds behind the heist.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Crofton Acacia Pantry Organizers The design masterminds at ALDI (and by extension, Crofton and Kirkton House, their in-house brands) have mastered practical and pretty.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
Israel views him and some others as terrorist masterminds who murdered Israeli civilians and has refused to release them in past exchanges.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
Once enlisted, recruits rarely meet the masterminds behind the crimes, instead receiving instructions through handlers online.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Mommy Pai’s, the latest venture from the masterminds behind Thai Diner and the late Uncle Boons, seems to follow this road map—on paper, at least.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Unlike high-cost advisors or one-size-fits-all masterminds, these tools offer flexibility to adapt as income changes and knowledge grows.
—Alejandra Rojas, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
All of the top brass attended this meeting, and everyone involved credited my partner Ricky and me as the masterminds behind the massive seizure.
—Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
The court also issued a warrant for Hamas official Mohammed Deif, who Israel said was one of the masterminds of the October 7 attack.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Owen suspects his soon-to-be in-laws (Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin) as the masterminds behind the heist.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Crofton Acacia Pantry Organizers The design masterminds at ALDI (and by extension, Crofton and Kirkton House, their in-house brands) have mastered practical and pretty.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminds
Noun
-
Aside from location factors like acreage, transportation access, power availability, talent and more, our planners, architects and engineers conduct extensive studies and analyses on zoning, acoustic modeling, environmental impact assessments and more.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Yet beneath that minimalist façade lies a surprisingly complex design challenge that has architects and homeowners rethinking how to integrate wellness spaces into contemporary living.—
Jesse Dorris,
Architectural Digest,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Big Tech now engineers a perpetual state of insecurity by creating relentless technological churn, rendering our skills and safety measures obsolete, only to then sell us the tools to catch up.—
Vivian Toh,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The study, conducted over several years, uses an approach that engineers artificial proteins (referred to as ion channels) in the brain that are activated by and bound to cocaine.—
Noah Lyons,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That of the vampy, endlessly ambitious, and deliciously ruthless weather presenter Suzanne Stone, who plots to knock off her husband (Matt Dillon) in Gus Van Sant’s satirical romp.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
-
However, the game rights change is contingent on the larger ESPN-NFL deal passing Department of Justice review, which seems increasingly unlikely to come before the NFL plots its 2026 calendar.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Jonas negotiates the coffee and doughnut freebie in a fun video posted on Instagram and TikTok.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Faulí now runs a team of eleven architects, and also negotiates the politics of a project that has numerous stakeholders.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Laura is able to shove Cherry hard enough to pry Daniel away from her and lock her in the room, but Cherry jumps out of the balcony, sacrificing her ankle, and maneuvers herself back into the house.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
In the next part of the scene, Gabriel maneuvers the plane into a roll, forcing Ethan, who is still clinging to the seatbelt, to slam into the side of the plane.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Complicating matters is the insidious Host character (voiced by Len Cunningham’s father, Liam Cunningham), who manipulates the players’ reality.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
-
All of this is possible because hackers use a tactic called SEO poisoning, which manipulates Google's search results so their fake websites appear near the top.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Financial compatibility is a necessity, but a partner who arranges things and therefore shows effort is vital.—
Essence,
Essence,
8 Oct. 2025
-
An employee arranges a salad dressing display at an Amazon Fresh grocery store on December 12, 2024 in Federal Way, Washington.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Masterminds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminds. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share