as in conspiracy
a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends
incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed
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Recent Examples of machination
The season 3 finale centers around Ginny's efforts to sway the trial — and the messy aftermath of her machinations.
—
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 7 June 2025
This hardly comes as a surprise, and American policymakers have plenty of experience in dealing with such machinations.
—Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
For now, all moves, from the subtle to the substantial, will likely remain on hold until there is resolution with Durant and the trade machinations of the Phoenix Suns.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2025
Yet while the saga is complex, it’s also revealed a lot about the behind-the-scenes machinations of Hollywood, and the central influence publicists and lawyers hold in the industry.
—David MacK, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for machination
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 7 June 2025
This hardly comes as a surprise, and American policymakers have plenty of experience in dealing with such machinations.
—Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
For now, all moves, from the subtle to the substantial, will likely remain on hold until there is resolution with Durant and the trade machinations of the Phoenix Suns.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2025
Yet while the saga is complex, it’s also revealed a lot about the behind-the-scenes machinations of Hollywood, and the central influence publicists and lawyers hold in the industry.
—David MacK, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for machination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for machination
Noun
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One co-conspirator was charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy for attempting to conceal and destroy evidence and faces up to 10 years in prison, The Center Square reported.—
Bethany Blankley,
The Washington Examiner,
11 July 2025
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Worse, she’s being painted as a de facto Deep State operative in an administration obsessed with Deep State conspiracies lurking under every desk.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Two sources told Reuters he was suspected of being involved in a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars earmarked for border defenses.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
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In the film, Superman comes under suspicion by the public and the government over his Kryptonian heritage thanks to a scheme by tech billionaire Luthor to push Superman out of the way of his grand plans to expand his criminal enterprise worldwide.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
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The songs, the plot, the characters — the performances are first rate, but the actors depend deeply on the movie’s performances to inform their own — and of course the DeLorean.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
13 July 2025
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The plot details for episode four of The Gilded Age season three are currently under wraps for now.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Machination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/machination. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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