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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In 2025, Vallow Daybell was handed two more consecutive life sentences after being convicted in Arizona for earlier plotting to kill her fourth husband and attempting to murder her niece's ex-husband.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
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In the lead-up to the 2026 NFL Draft, this same horsepower captivated the Minnesota Vikings, who plotted when and where to select him.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The decision to close the location comes after negotiating for months upon the urging of the city of Dallas and local leaders to work out an arrangement for how the store could keep operating.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
2 June 2026
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But Qatar appears to be more flexible, with a top official saying on Sunday that the country would be willing to negotiate on fees collected for mine clearance or other short-term activities.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Detective John Bolden, 47, a 20-year NYPD veteran who retired from the force in October, schemed to fleece the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which offered loans to small businesses forced to close or at risk of closing during the COVID pandemic.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2026
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Lesley Manville plays the scheming Marquise de Merteuil.—
Anna Russell,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
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That echoes findings of a delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which visited Yerevan in May and said foreign interference included illicit political financing, cyberattacks, economic coercion and direct attempts to manipulate the electoral process.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
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The number then becomes harder to interpret and easier to manipulate.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Police in Las Vegas arranged for him to be arrested and then extradited to California, Clark said.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
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Nearby, the Rum Vault is a small room stashed with bottles and bottles of the spirit, arranged like a library according to the producing region.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Higginbotham is a native of Hoover, Alabama, and is majoring in biosystems engineering at Auburn, according to the university and Hoover Mayor Nick Derzis.—
Anthony Trotter,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
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According to the official announcement from Nevada’s Clark County, the job necessitated a small army of volunteers and community partners using a design envisioned by engineering students at Las Vegas’ West Career & Technical Academy.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The work lies in making that interface feel truthful rather than contrived.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Machinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinate. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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