masterminding

verb

present participle of mastermind
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 masterminding This year’s lingerie spectacular was no different, with Dame Pat McGrath masterminding the baby winged eyeliner and pink cheeks, while Guido Palau executed the blowouts. — Violet Hayward, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026 Bentley claims to have focused on four pillars when masterminding the electric SUV. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 23 Sep. 2026 However, off the field, the leadership style of the man tasked with masterminding a new era at Anfield is understated. — James Pearce, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Davis was arrested in 2023 and indicted for masterminding the killing and providing the gun. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 Russian war bloggers responded to Fedorov’s dismissal with glee, noting his role in masterminding long-range drone strikes on oil facilities that have caused a fuel crisis and midrange attacks that disrupted military logistics. — ABC News, 21 July 2026 After a series of personal setbacks, Ingrid moves to Los Angeles to be closer to Taylor, masterminding their meeting and worming her way into her inner circle. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026 The siblings have been there for one another since day one—and Austin’s even been instrumental in masterminding some of his sister’s biggest moments. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 2 July 2026 Last year, both Karen Read, acquitted of killing her Boston cop boyfriend in June, and Sherri Papini, who served time for masterminding her own 2016 kidnapping in California, participated in documentaries about their cases. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminding
  1. negotiating
  2. plotting
  3. arranging
  4. manipulating
Verb
  • Technical knowledge can be taught and examined but the skills Freebairn values most, such as influencing, persuading, and negotiating, cannot.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The administration may be negotiating even more stakes under the radar, since SEC filings for unrelated deals mention the possibility of warrants.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of negotiating
Verb
  • Two teenage girls spent months plotting a mass shooting in Riverside County, officials say.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The distinction matters because operating an unmanned vessel requires more than plotting a route.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of plotting
Verb
  • One of our all-time favorite experiences was arranging a private, behind-the-scenes tour of Blenheim Palace, led by none other than the Duke of Marlborough himself.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Miranda Orozco, 50, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after admitting to arranging travel and accommodations for two people who died and another who was seriously injured.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of arranging
Verb
  • This gave the team control over the motor’s movement without physically manipulating it.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The 18-year-old is suspected of manipulating an Indiana teen over a social platform into harming herself and taking her own life, according to prosecutors in Germany.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of manipulating

Browse Nearby Words

masterminded
masterminding
masterminds
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Cite this Entry

“Masterminding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminding. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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