as in architect
a person who designs and guides a plan or undertaking
the real mastermind behind the embezzlement scheme
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to engineer
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care
he was charged with masterminding a plan to redecorate the suite of offices without seriously disrupting business operations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mastermind
Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Apr. 2025
The mastermind whose Detroit Lions scored 68 offensive touchdowns in the 2024 regular season while averaging a league-best 33.2 points.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
Kyle MacNeill, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
Others who have boycotted X include Jack White, Neil Young, and Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor.
—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Noun
Malanga Malu's father, Christian Malanga, a U.S. national of Congolese origin, was believed to have been the mastermind behind the May attacks on the presidential palace and a Tshisekedi ally's home.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Apr. 2025
The mastermind whose Detroit Lions scored 68 offensive touchdowns in the 2024 regular season while averaging a league-best 33.2 points.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
Malina Stearns, a special effects makeup artist, masterminded Doja Cat’s look at the 2023 Met Gala, where the popstar embodied Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved cat in a custom Oscar de la Renta gown and facial prosthetics.
—Kyle MacNeill, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
Others who have boycotted X include Jack White, Neil Young, and Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor.
—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mastermind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mastermind
Noun
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Decades ago architects put bedroom closets on the other side of bathrooms.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
12 Apr. 2025
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The resort, located in White Lake, just 90 minutes from New York City, is a real working horse and cattle ranch, designed and owned by Steve Dubrovsky, a three-time Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association circuit champion and the architect for the neighboring Chatwal Lodge.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The utility found that purchasing new generators would make the plant economically unfeasible, said Blind, who was engineering director at Palisades during that time.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
22 Mar. 2025
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Every piece is engineered to be breathable, seamless and body-enhancing — offering a second-skin fit that moves effortlessly with the wearer.—
WWD,
WWD,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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His special envoy to Ukraine set a goal of negotiating an agreement even quicker during the first 100 days of Trump's term.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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Still, there’s a fine line between negotiating smartly and offending a seller.—
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Less than a month into the job, Trump and the Japanese Prime Minister plotted their response to a North Korean missile launch in the open-air patio of Mar a Lago, photos of which ended up on Facebook.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Mar. 2025
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Charity workers had plotted the heights and weights of Daasanach children on World Health Organization charts—the same ones our pediatrician used to monitor my daughter’s growth—and determined that more than two-thirds of the kids were malnourished.—
Manvir Singh,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In Season 4 of the Max comedy, Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels have manipulated their way into their respective dream jobs as host and head writer of a late-night talk show on network TV.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
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This country is being manipulated by two people — and those too afraid to have the courage to oppose them.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Oz: On [Richard’s] birthday, Laura arranged for maybe a dozen Civil War reenactors to come galloping onto the set.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2025
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But the human author was a sort of conductor: prompting, arranging, intervening.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The slim, lightweight gadget is easy to maneuver around the house since it isn’t tethered to a wire.—
Clara McMahon,
People.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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Some of the most stylish appliances out there, stick vacuums are both sleek and easy to maneuver thanks to the abundance of cordless models on the market.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mastermind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mastermind. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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