machination
noun
Peter Bogdanovich
Synonyms
- conspiracy
- design
- intrigue
- plot
- scheme
Example Sentences
Felipe De La Hoz, The New Republic, 22 Aug. 2022 And if the brand-new mother doesn’t want to participate in the machination? Tomris Laffly, Variety, 3 Mar. 2022 Through some combination of machination, intrigue, and poor decision making, the famed gig initially went to Mike Richards, the white male Jeopardy! Cynthia Greenlee, Harper's BAZAAR, 17 Sep. 2021 But like so much else in this series so far, this all reads as too try-hard to believe — a plot machination set in place from above that isn’t plausibly set in motion by the characters down on the ground. Jessica Goldstein, Vulture, 22 July 2021 The whole machination is pretty much based on a semblance of supply and demand. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2021 Opening night also lacked the sense of danger that should hang over every machination. Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 7 Nov. 2020 The legal filing is the latest machination that may affect absentee voting this year, a process more than 3 million Michiganders are expected to use to cast their ballots this fall. Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 25 Sep. 2020 After weeks of hand wringing, private machination and public dysfunction, the league is ready to power its biggest revenue driver back up again. Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Sep. 2020 See More Word History
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
machination
noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- conspiracy
- scheme
- plot
- intrigue
- subterfuge
- strategy
- manipulation
- stratagem
- trickery
- counterplot
- cabal
- design
- contrivance
- collusion
- maneuver
- conniving
- confederacy
- racket
- connivance
- complicity
- frame-up
- system
- counterconspiracy
- dodge
- artifice
- conspiration
- program
- cover-up
- ground plan
- gimmick
- draft
- trick
- game
- ring
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of machination are cabal, conspiracy, intrigue, and plot. While all these words mean "a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end," machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means.
Although the words cabal and machination have much in common, cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence.
While the synonyms conspiracy and machination are close in meaning, conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery.
While in some cases nearly identical to machination, intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity.
The words plot and machination can be used in similar contexts, but plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme.