MACHINATE Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

machinate

verb

ˈma-kə-ˌnāt

Definition of machinate

as in to plot

to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends a trio of courtiers who were discovered to be machinating against the queen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to negotiate

to plan out usually with subtle skill or care the hackers machinated a way to steal credit numbers from the company's Web site

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 machinate But Cleopatra, still machinating away in Alexandria, couldn’t handle the thought of Herod gaining any further traction in Antony’s affections. — Anne Thériault, Longreads, 18 Dec. 2019 Now a new scheme described by ProPublica and The Wall Street Journal involves families seemingly machinating to get an unfair leg up in paying for a coveted seat at a university. — Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 30 July 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for machinate

Verb

But a few months later, at her 18-month appointment, the standard graph that plotted a child’s weight against their age showed her weight slipping off the curve.

— Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
With some hits in the bank and an overall deal with Amazon MGM, Wallace and her team can now take the time to plot what comes next.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of plot

Verb

Pascal Lamy negotiated China’s accession to the WTO in 2001 on behalf of the EU.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Ian Gray, vice president of intelligence at the threat monitoring company Flashpoint, told NBC Miami this was a likely indication that Florida officials were negotiating with ShinyHunters to prevent a leak of the database.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of negotiate

Verb

That point is proved time and again, as editors scheme against each other, belittle each other’s literary taste and throw Batter under the bus whenever an opportunity arises.

— Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
However, as Pamela Colloff reveals in her taut and engrossing investigation, a scheming jailhouse snitch’s testimony was largely responsible for putting Dailey on death row for decades.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of scheme

Verb

Its tech helped investigators find that former Toronto Raptors big man Jontay Porter manipulated his play on behalf of bettors.

— Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Instead of filming hands of actual workers, young men with GoPro cameras strapped to their heads record themselves doing jobs while holding and manipulating what look like grippy robot claws.

— Diaa Hadid, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of manipulate

Verb

For a bit of an over-the-top perk, the concierge is able to arrange helicopter services to NASA through its rooftop helipad, as well as myriad other special excursions.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
While Sabrina’s identical twin sister, Virginia, was arranged to marry a Chinese American man in the States who spoke no Cantonese, Sabrina wouldn’t let her parents stop their love— or stop her from getting pregnant.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of arrange

Verb

Researchers have also engineered modified versions aimed at specific disease pathways.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Since 1970, when Milton Friedman declared that a corporation's only social responsibility is profit, businesses have been re-engineered around delivering the most value possible to shareholders.

— Christopher Marquis, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of engineer

Browse Nearby Words

Machiavellian

machinate

machinated

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Style

“Machinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of machinate

verb

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