as in architect
a person who designs and guides a plan or undertaking
the real mastermind behind the embezzlement scheme
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of mastermind
Mostafa Salem, CNN, 20 Jan. 2025
Lives lived: Oliviero Toscani, an Italian photographer who used powerful and provocative images as the creative mastermind of Benetton’s advertising campaigns, died at 82.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Selina Denman, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Nov. 2024
McSweeney has been credited with masterminding the general election campaign that brought Labour to power in July.
—Robert Olsen, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mastermind 
Noun
Israel also inflicted heavy losses on Hamas, killing its top leadership, including the mastermind of the October 7 attack Yahya Sinwar, and claimed to have killed thousands of the group’s fighters.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN, 20 Jan. 2025
Lives lived: Oliviero Toscani, an Italian photographer who used powerful and provocative images as the creative mastermind of Benetton’s advertising campaigns, died at 82.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
There’s also a larger cultural pageant on the cards, this one embracing the entire region and masterminded by Joe Sidek, the erstwhile curator of the popular George Town Festival in Penang.
—Selina Denman, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Nov. 2024
McSweeney has been credited with masterminding the general election campaign that brought Labour to power in July.
—Robert Olsen, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mastermind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mastermind
Noun
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The 11-story library and Board of Education building, designed by Kansas City architect Edward W. Tanner in the modernist style, was hailed as a triumph of design for modern libraries when it was completed in 1960.—
Patrick Salland,
Kansas City Star,
20 Jan. 2025
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The venue took more than two years to develop and was the fruit of multiple iterations from interior design architects.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Back then its four thrusters – totaling 60 kW – were engineered to push the three-person submersible to speeds of 8 knots – that's reportedly faster than the cruising speed of a bottlenose dolphin – at depths of up to 300 m (984.25 ft).—
Paul Ridden,
New Atlas,
25 Jan. 2025
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When Hydrants Aren’t Enough Philip Cheung for The New York Times In large-scale fires, hydrant systems can quickly be pushed beyond what they were engineered to handle.—
Mitch Smith,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Although Kessler is a high-profile litigator, including by leading high-profile antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA, NASCAR, U.S. Soccer, the NFL and other major sports defendants, litigators sometimes negotiate resolutions without having to go to court.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
25 Jan. 2025
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Tennant and others have been negotiating with Mario Borda, a Miami real estate broker who represents the LLCs buying up units.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Roseanne Barr, who was fired by Disney from her titular ABC show in 2018 at the height of its ratings prowess, is plotting a TV comeback.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
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Jacinto planned to take in the Hermès and Sacai shows in Paris before plotting his next steps.—
Joelle Diderich,
WWD,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In more significant cases, scammers manipulate individuals into transferring large sums of money to fake people, scam accounts, or identity theft.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA TODAY,
25 Jan. 2025
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As Beckman's accomplice, Lau allegedly manipulated documents, including documents allegedly stolen from the venture capital firm that employed her while supposedly hiding her work for GameOn.—
Ashley Belanger,
Ars Technica,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The company arranged for two Fox Sports personnel, Julian Edelman and Charissa Thompson, to do a tease of sorts just before kickoff of Fox’s Sunday telecast of the NFC Championship.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2025
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Over the weekend, Trump administration officials arranged another ride-along, that time in Chicago, for the daytime TV talk show star Dr. Phil McGraw.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Connecticut’s rainy day fund held $1.2 billion when Lamont reassigned $381 million to maneuver around bond covenants and refinance the teachers’ pension.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
23 Jan. 2025
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James maneuvering his way to Miami to create the Heatles was a stroke of genius that ushered in the player empowerment era.—
Danny Emerman,
The Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near mastermind
Cite this Entry
“Mastermind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mastermind. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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