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

There’s also growing evidence that building a career inside a firm continues to be a more reliable route to success than trying to plot a path across companies.

— Matthew Bidwell, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Proper later allegedly admitted to plotting the UFC 250 attack and described it in full to the FBI, according to the criminal complaint.

— Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of plot

Verb

Hardly the smoking gun that puts him in an Afghan cave, scheming with bin Laden.

— Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Issa acts on that notion by encouraging a threesome between herself, Paul Baker, and Anton, who has spent much of the episode getting increasingly annoyed about being left out of everyone else’s scheming.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of scheme

Verb

Last Wednesday, Meta reached a settlement with the attorneys general of forty-seven states, who had sued it for illegally manipulating the attention of children.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
The finding could matter for quantum computers, where lasers are used to manipulate qubits and even tiny changes in their interactions can affect the accuracy of quantum operations.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of manipulate

Verb

Still, each guest enjoys their secluded villa, private spa time, and a personal guide to arrange hiking and water excursions like snorkeling and surfing.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Tafoya arranged for five blank checks paid as bribes by a marijuana firm to be cashed with the help of his brother and passed one $10,000 check on to marketer Chavez, according to the plea agreement.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of arrange

Verb

More than just thirst quenchers, functional beverages are engineered to deliver a wellness punch with vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, electrolytes, probiotics and enzymes for gut health and adaptogens for mood support.

— Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
View gallery - 4 images For decades, the recipe for a premium folding bicycle has been to engineer a smart hinge mechanism, choose your metal and fire up the welding torch.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of engineer

Verb

The simple average of these deliveries is skewed by the 2023 Ashes, where more bouncers were bowled than in any Test on record, with England contriving repeatedly to lose wickets to the ball dug in short.

— Ben Jones Aug. 26, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Prosecutors say the former labor and delivery nurse planned the killings and contrived to get her husband out of the house by sending him to pick up medicine for one of their children and dinner for the family.

— Michael Casey, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of contrive

Browse Nearby Words

Machiavellian

machinate

machinated

See all Nearby Words

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Style

“Machinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinate. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of machinate

verb

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