machination

noun

mach·​i·​na·​tion ˌma-kə-ˈnā-shən 

ˌma-shə-

1

: an act of machinating

2

: a scheming or crafty action or artful design intended to accomplish some usually evil end

backstage machinations … that have dominated the film industry

—Peter Bogdanovich

Synonyms

• conspiracy
• design
• intrigue
• plot
• scheme

Choose the Right Synonym for machination

plot, intrigue, machination, conspiracy, cabal mean a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end.

plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme.

an assassination plot

intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity.

backstairs intrigue

machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means.

the machinations of a party boss

conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery.

a conspiracy to fix prices

cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence.

a cabal among powerful senators

Examples of machination in a Sentence

incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed

Recent Examples on the Web

Worse, the recent machinations in the House with President-elect Trump's interference shows that political polarization is ramping up. —John S. Tobey, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024

Beyond the Kessler connection, there are other interesting parallels between Belichick’s career machinations this week and those of a quarter-century ago, which served as a combative, if telling, prelude to his iconic run with the New England Patriots. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 Dec. 2024

Chess is a game that takes place almost entirely within a player’s mind, their calculations and machinations visible only to a skilled viewer predicting the next move. —Issy Ronald, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024

Popular on Variety Though the intricate details of political and strategic machinations can sometimes be hard to follow, the broad essentials are easy enough to understand. —Richard Kuipers, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1