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
Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 6 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
Chechen hitmen were convicted, but the masterminds remain unidentified.
—Andy Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Mollie Auchmuty, 34, from rural Ohio, was one of the masterminds behind a coordinated prank that unfolded aboard the Disney Wish cruise ship.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
Her character Yun Yi-rang masterminds some complicated and often hilarious scams targeting villains.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 6 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
Chechen hitmen were convicted, but the masterminds remain unidentified.
—Andy Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Mollie Auchmuty, 34, from rural Ohio, was one of the masterminds behind a coordinated prank that unfolded aboard the Disney Wish cruise ship.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminds
Noun
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Leaders who grasp this framework will see themselves not just as managers of tasks but as architects of signals, stewards of patterns, cultivators of pathways, and guardians of heuristics.—
Scott Hutcheson,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The Orange County interior designers, architects, and builders on the AD PRO Directory are putting a stylish stamp on the SoCal design landscape.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Colts are stuck in QB purgatory unless Anthony Richardson engineers a massive turnaround.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
29 Aug. 2025
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Holger Reisinger, Senior Vice President at Jabra—a global brand that engineers technology that makes life look and sound better.—
Holger Reisinger,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Loktev’s film chronicles the Russian government’s systematic crackdown on journalists in late 2021 and early 2022 as Vladimir Putin plots his invasion of Ukraine.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
13 Aug. 2025
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Harper is a surfer who plays by her own rules and even plots to break up her mother from her current fiancé.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Would all athletes at one university form a unit that negotiates a CBA?—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The company has affiliation agreements with 227 other local stations and negotiates retransmission rights for those with YouTube TV and other virtual pay-TV providers.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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
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After all, if an attacker hijacks the agent’s credentials or manipulates its input data, the agent could take harmful actions faster and more persistently than any human user.—
Michael DeCesare,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Latest section, on the other hand, arranges posts and reels in chronological order, with the most recent ones appearing first.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
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At Zé Elídio’s compound, Janalice and other girls are assaulted before being handed over to Philippe Soutin, who arranges to auction them during the mayor’s birthday party.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Masterminds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminds. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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