as in schemes
a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends
incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 machinations
Why pull back the curtain on the inner machinations of the athletic department about 24 hours before their most important game of the season?
—
Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Sexual insecurity is what makes this great military man so vulnerable to Iago’s machinations.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
Now trapped inside the car and communicating through the car's speaker system, Eddie has to reckon with the devious machinations of William and whatever chaos he's got planned.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
Others would exhort that the end result is what counts, not how the inner machinations work.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Gather ’round, children, Grandpa Probst is going to tell you about the time his machinations broke the game.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2025
Much of the series’ pathos hinges on the growing schism between mother and son as Kanan begins to understand the horrors of Raq’s machinations and deceit (including tricking him into assassinating his biological father), leading him to try to go into business for himself.
—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
His determination to forge a path toward justice within a treacherous landscape of political machinations and gang warfare forms the narrative backbone of the show.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Mar. 2025
But in seeing all the machinations — being able to put together, finally, what the number is on the cigarette?
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 4 Mar. 2025
Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Sexual insecurity is what makes this great military man so vulnerable to Iago’s machinations.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
Now trapped inside the car and communicating through the car's speaker system, Eddie has to reckon with the devious machinations of William and whatever chaos he's got planned.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
Others would exhort that the end result is what counts, not how the inner machinations work.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Gather ’round, children, Grandpa Probst is going to tell you about the time his machinations broke the game.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2025
Much of the series’ pathos hinges on the growing schism between mother and son as Kanan begins to understand the horrors of Raq’s machinations and deceit (including tricking him into assassinating his biological father), leading him to try to go into business for himself.
—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
His determination to forge a path toward justice within a treacherous landscape of political machinations and gang warfare forms the narrative backbone of the show.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Mar. 2025
But in seeing all the machinations — being able to put together, finally, what the number is on the cigarette?
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Machinations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinations. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share