1
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
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2
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
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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
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
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All the men were accused of plotting in South Florida and hiring a squad of former Colombian soldiers to violently overthrow Haiti’s president in a coup scheme that turned from his ouster to his assassination a couple of weeks before his death.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
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This was Boston’s first opening-round exit since 2021 (and only its second since 2016), so Stevens and his lieutenants will have more time than usual to plot their next moves.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Peace proposals are usually negotiated behind closed doors; threats are seldom made publicly.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
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That expiration would allow Iran to resume some nuclear activities, as in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated under President Barack Obama.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Fans are already scheming how this might happen — whether Kahan releases a deluxe version of The Great Divide and Bridgers appears, or something else entirely.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
9 May 2026
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One word came up repeatedly in a federal courtroom in Kansas City, Kansas, on Wednesday as the government laid out its case in the racketeering conspiracy trial of former Boilermakers executives accused of scheming to steal $20 million in union funds.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
Verb
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In most cases, similar to engine controls, this climate control system can be checked for codes and the various modes manipulated with a scan tool.—
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs And Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
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This likely created new evolutionary pressure for specialized hand use during tasks such as carrying objects, manipulating tools, or gesturing.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Soon, survey crews showed up, bulldozers were spotted along dusty roads, and the Army Corps of Engineers arranged private meetings.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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The spa There’s no spa, but morning yoga and pilates classes are hosted on the rooftop and the hotel can help arrange in-room massage treatments.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
Verb
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These grains haven’t been engineered for shelf life or yield, which is part of the appeal for cooks looking for more flavor, more texture and more variety on the plate.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
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The reactor is engineered to run on mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel and transuranic (TRU) fuels sourced from existing Department of Energy stockpiles.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Credibility gets strained pretty quickly as the playwrights contrive to get the characters to face each other in person.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
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Even his courtship with Bess Wallace was accented by Truman contriving a tennis court for her — the dynamics of which are captured through photos of and letters about his efforts.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Machinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinate. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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