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

Now, because of all of these CBA machinations, with the repeater tax, first apron, second apron and penalties that come with it, there’s a different thought process. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025

But, as stated above with any Kevin Durant possibilities, pick prudence certainly does have to be part of any Heat transaction machinations going forward. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2025

Wow, that’s a lot of machinations and human intervention to get one guy from point A to point B! —Peter Baugh, New York Times, 1 May 2025

The phone call scheduled for Tuesday will be an opportunity for the U.S. and other world powers to gain some insight into the Kremlin’s machinations. —Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for machination

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation