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

Relevance

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 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 Johnson was convicted of capital murder on March 19, 2003, for masterminding the 1999 shooting. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminding
  1. negotiating
  2. plotting
  3. arranging
  4. manipulating
Verb
  • He gets pummeled by waves and rip currents while negotiating the famously difficult shore dive but is soon swimming among brightly colored marine life and undulating kelp forests that filter sunlight from the surface.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The more balanced market gives home shoppers potentially more leverage in negotiating better terms with sellers, especially if a property has not fetched offers in weeks or months.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of negotiating
Verb
  • Her character has a romantic tension with Dennison, and despite plotting an affair, the pair only flirt and never act on it.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • With the children’s television landscape evolving from the bright sitcom-style of Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows, a veteran director of the genre is plotting his own course, while still working in the children’s entertainment space.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of plotting
Verb
  • Yana also admitted arranging questionable free transportation for his supporters at his political rallies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • As with the traditional Rubik’s Cube, players wrestle with arranging the small square pieces into a 3 x 3 x 3 square.
    — Richard Eisenberg, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of arranging
Verb
  • She was also seen taking photos and manipulating notebooks on the victim’s desk, the police affidavit said.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Gandhi has alleged that the SIR is an instrument for manipulating elections.
    — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of manipulating

Browse Nearby Words

masterminded
masterminding
masterminds
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Masterminding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminding. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All