Thesaurus results for MACHINATIONS

machinations

noun

plural of machination

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 The Heat are expected to carry only 14 players under standard contract at the start of their season, due to their position against the hard cap created by the machinations for the acquisition of Antetokounmpo. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 Extrapolating from salacious and rumor-filled ancient sources, the novel offers an inside scoop into the machinations of the first Roman imperial family. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 That the strategic ploy of publicly confirming her brother’s unconfirmable death might require additional machinations? — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 Decades out of practice, Saxberger is assailed by writer’s block and confused by the machinations of a modern-day publishing industry that wants to turn his rediscovery into a branding exercise. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026 His command of celebrity culture — its secrets, scandals, and machinations — was already firmly entrenched. — Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2026 However, year after year, predicting Preller’s midsummer machinations has proved a largely futile endeavor. — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Kapor had a lot more to say, about blazing a trail without a map, about the machinations of markets, and about the opportunities that the world is exploring now. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 But Margaret and Alice’s quick-witted machinations provide the basis for a merry outing at the theater. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for machinations

Noun

Along the way, there are before-and-after floor plans, garden schemes, and a recipe for Meyers Family Hot Fudge.

— Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 25 Aug. 2026
Their protection schemes might expect edge rushers, but both Van Ginkel and Turner could drift backward, making the interior more susceptible.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of schemes

Noun

But like many aspects of 21st-century American life, the vaccines became a partisan point of debate as often false anti-vaccine conspiracies spread to millions of people.

— Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
The result is a sprawling theory combining paranoid interpretations of current events with historical conspiracies.

— Matthew N. Hannah, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of conspiracies

Noun

King said when individuals were buried on top of one another, the cemetery’s management removed the tombstones and resold the plots.

— Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Aug. 2026
The dissident, Siamak Tadayon Tahmasbi, had been accused by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence of directing terrorist plots tied to Israeli intelligence.

— Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of plots

Noun

The series has always moved at a deliberate pace, allowing the characters’ social battles and romantic intrigues to simmer.

— Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
Netflix announced a second melodrama last December, about the secrets and intrigues of an elite Rio de Janeiro family, created in partnership with Amaia Produções and Conspiração, with general direction by Mauro Mendonça Filho.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 25 May 2026

Definition of intrigues

Browse Nearby Words

machination

machinations

machinator

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Machinations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machinations. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of machinations

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes