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
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
One of the most notable is being the masterminds of the dozen-plus concert G3 tours that began in 1996 and most recently took place in 2024.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Klendathu's legions of arachnid drones and plasma-blasting giant beetles are all under the control of a species of giant arthropods that have somehow evolved into strategic masterminds.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
With highly unusual subject matter for a song-and-dance production, this 2024 Olivier Award-winner for Best New Musical chronicles a real-life World War II invasion plan that counted British intelligence officer Ian Fleming — the future creator of James Bond — among its masterminds.
—John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 16 Mar. 2026
Celebrity stylists have long been the masterminds behind some of the most iconic looks in pop culture.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 4 Mar. 2026
Schneider hired Macdonald to beat offensive masterminds in the NFC West like San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Bormann supported extreme antisemitic measures and was one of the masterminds of the Aryanization project.
—Solly Boussidan, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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
One of the most notable is being the masterminds of the dozen-plus concert G3 tours that began in 1996 and most recently took place in 2024.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Klendathu's legions of arachnid drones and plasma-blasting giant beetles are all under the control of a species of giant arthropods that have somehow evolved into strategic masterminds.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
With highly unusual subject matter for a song-and-dance production, this 2024 Olivier Award-winner for Best New Musical chronicles a real-life World War II invasion plan that counted British intelligence officer Ian Fleming — the future creator of James Bond — among its masterminds.
—John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 16 Mar. 2026
Celebrity stylists have long been the masterminds behind some of the most iconic looks in pop culture.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 4 Mar. 2026
Schneider hired Macdonald to beat offensive masterminds in the NFC West like San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Bormann supported extreme antisemitic measures and was one of the masterminds of the Aryanization project.
—Solly Boussidan, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 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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Being present keeps us close to architects, designers, and developers whose work has global reach, which is why Europe is both a growth and leadership market for Kohler.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
-
Nguyen and Akhavan also worked with architects and engineers to make the necessary alternations to Canada’s permanent building in the Giardini, while protecting the tree that it is constructed around.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
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.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Setup is seamless thanks to AI Sonic Auto Room Calibration, which engineers the audio to your specific space.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Much of this underseen indie mockumentary, which starred Seymour Cassel as a slippery film producer who plots to hype an unknown schlub (Francesco Quinn) into the toast of the Cannes Film Festival, was also shot on location, guerrilla-style, this time during the 1995 festivities.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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Killen strategically plots it out and gives us memorable supporting characters — Alice Braga as Creasy’s helper and driver, Scoot McNairy (great as usual) as a CIA field agent.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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That unit includes the pharmacy benefits manager Caremark, which negotiates drug discounts with manufacturers on behalf of insurance plans, creates lists of medications, or formularies, that are covered by insurance, and reimburses pharmacies for prescriptions.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
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The actors union’s new agreement with the trade group that negotiates with Hollywood unions on behalf of the major studios will reportedly improve AI protections and boost the guild’s pension fund.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Master maneuvers examiners score highest, such as properly changing lanes, parallel parking and three-point turns.—
Don Sweeney
April 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Nail artists don’t use actual watercolors, of course, but the technique required to create this look is not far from how a painter maneuvers their brush on a canvas.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Flashbacks are deployed as more than mere framing devices, since the past plays an active, exciting role in the town’s present, and there’s an extended drug trip that skillfully manipulates lapsed time through recurring blackouts to keep you on the edge of your seat.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
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But there is a point where the prediction shapes and manipulates the actual outcome.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The retreat also provides a complete, personalized meal plan and arranges transportation to and from the airport or train station, making the experience closer to an all-inclusive medical resort than a traditional spa visit.—
Lauren Schuster,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
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But elsewhere Margaret—who produced the record with longtime collaborator Doug Saltzman—arranges the same core sounds into more interesting, textured configurations, wielding millennial touchstones without the baggage.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masterminds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminds. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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