as in architects
a person who designs and guides a plan or undertaking
the real mastermind behind the embezzlement scheme
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in engineers
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 masterminds
Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026
The honorary degrees come their way after the Duffer Brothers achieved global success for being the masterminds behind Netflix’s hit horror franchise Stranger Things.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
One of the most notable is being the masterminds of the dozen-plus concert G3 tours that began in 1996 and most recently took place in 2024.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Klendathu's legions of arachnid drones and plasma-blasting giant beetles are all under the control of a species of giant arthropods that have somehow evolved into strategic masterminds.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
With highly unusual subject matter for a song-and-dance production, this 2024 Olivier Award-winner for Best New Musical chronicles a real-life World War II invasion plan that counted British intelligence officer Ian Fleming — the future creator of James Bond — among its masterminds.
—John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 16 Mar. 2026
Celebrity stylists have long been the masterminds behind some of the most iconic looks in pop culture.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 4 Mar. 2026
Schneider hired Macdonald to beat offensive masterminds in the NFC West like San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Bormann supported extreme antisemitic measures and was one of the masterminds of the Aryanization project.
—Solly Boussidan, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
Some of the masterminds behind NBC‘s Saturday Night Live Season 51 brought the laughs all the way from Studio 8H to the DGA Theater to break down the process behind keeping the iconic sketch comedy engine running after more than five decades for Deadline Contenders TV.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026
The honorary degrees come their way after the Duffer Brothers achieved global success for being the masterminds behind Netflix’s hit horror franchise Stranger Things.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
One of the most notable is being the masterminds of the dozen-plus concert G3 tours that began in 1996 and most recently took place in 2024.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Klendathu's legions of arachnid drones and plasma-blasting giant beetles are all under the control of a species of giant arthropods that have somehow evolved into strategic masterminds.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
With highly unusual subject matter for a song-and-dance production, this 2024 Olivier Award-winner for Best New Musical chronicles a real-life World War II invasion plan that counted British intelligence officer Ian Fleming — the future creator of James Bond — among its masterminds.
—John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 16 Mar. 2026
Celebrity stylists have long been the masterminds behind some of the most iconic looks in pop culture.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 4 Mar. 2026
Schneider hired Macdonald to beat offensive masterminds in the NFC West like San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Bormann supported extreme antisemitic measures and was one of the masterminds of the Aryanization project.
—Solly Boussidan, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
The same studio that produced the Godzilla franchise, Toho, masterminds one of the most horrifying and disturbingly humorous psychedelic films to date.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterminds
Noun
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Gaudí designed the project as a multigenerational effort and left behind detailed models and plans, aware that future architects would add their own artistic contributions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
For the early architects, food was always political and thus, so too was food justice—a direct affront to unfair systems.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Our enterprising Gravedigger, a true woman of science, engineers a lizard elixir and regenerates the finger into a long tentacle that eventually demands a body.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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Setup is seamless thanks to AI Sonic Auto Room Calibration, which engineers the audio to your specific space.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Part 2 the factional fighting at court is increased rather than lessened by the arrival of Margaret of Anjou, the new queen, who—together with her lover, the duke of Suffolk—plots against Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, and his ambitious duchess, Eleanor.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Robert Pattinson also enters the franchise as the villain Scytale, who plots to end Paul's rule over the universe.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Or, debt forgiveness, also known as debt settlement — which is where a debt relief company negotiates to reduce your balance in return for a lower lump-sum payment — could be the better route.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
As Maxey negotiates his first season as the 76ers’ predominant number-one option, the lessons are coming daily.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nail artists don’t use actual watercolors, of course, but the technique required to create this look is not far from how a painter maneuvers their brush on a canvas.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The correct grip could be the deciding factor in whether an astronaut correctly maneuvers a robotic arm or successfully performs a medical procedure.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But there is a point where the prediction shapes and manipulates the actual outcome.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Searching for inspiration for her next novel, Elise subtly manipulates the people closest to her like characters in a book.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But elsewhere Margaret—who produced the record with longtime collaborator Doug Saltzman—arranges the same core sounds into more interesting, textured configurations, wielding millennial touchstones without the baggage.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
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In the weeks before the draft, a team of decision-makers gathers there and hears reports on each player, discusses them and arranges the players on the board by a grade.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masterminds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterminds. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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