machination
noun
mach·i·na·tion
ˌma-kə-ˈnā-shən 
ˌma-shə-
1
: an act of machinating
2
: a scheming or crafty action or artful design intended to accomplish some usually evil end
backstage machinations … that have dominated the film industry—
Peter Bogdanovich
Peter BogdanovichExamples of machination in a Sentence
incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed
Recent Examples on the Web
Brock addressed the audience via video conferencing, as did two others whose expertise is walking potential vendors through the machinations of doing business with NASA directly or by subcontracting with prime contractors, such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2025
Straughan trusts that the machinations of this notorious royal adviser and his king’s marital fecklessness, the consequences of which are still with us five centuries later, are fascinating enough on their own.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025
Why pull back the curtain on the inner machinations of the athletic department about 24 hours before their most important game of the season?
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Through executive orders, untested presidential authority and the machinations of billionaire buddy Elon Musk, Trump has thrown Washington into the sort of turmoil usually seen only during world war and economic catastrophe.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025
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Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2025
Straughan trusts that the machinations of this notorious royal adviser and his king’s marital fecklessness, the consequences of which are still with us five centuries later, are fascinating enough on their own.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025
Why pull back the curtain on the inner machinations of the athletic department about 24 hours before their most important game of the season?
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Through executive orders, untested presidential authority and the machinations of billionaire buddy Elon Musk, Trump has thrown Washington into the sort of turmoil usually seen only during world war and economic catastrophe.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for machination
Cite this Entry
“Machination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/machination. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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