mastermind
Americanverb (used with object)
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masterminds,
present (3rd person singular)
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masterminded,
past participle, past
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masterminding
present participle
noun
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masterminds
plural
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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mastermindsimple
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mastermindssimple
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have mastermindedperfect
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has mastermindedperfect
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am mastermindingprogressive
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are mastermindingprogressive
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is mastermindingprogressive
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have been mastermindingperfect progressive
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has been mastermindingperfect progressive
Past
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mastermindedsimple
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had mastermindedperfect
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was mastermindingprogressive
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were mastermindingprogressive
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had been mastermindingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mastermind
Explanation
A mastermind is a brilliant thinker with original ideas. You might be a chess mastermind or a criminal mastermind: either way, people will not want to oppose you. Inventors, intellectuals, and famous geniuses call all be called masterminds, from Albert Einstein to theoretical physicist Dr. Shirley Jackson. You could also call people who are successful in their fields — especially if they come up with new ways of doing things — masterminds. Even a brilliant jewel thief might be called a safe-cracking mastermind. As a verb, to mastermind is to act as the leader of some complex plan or scheme.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
So there is some scepticism about Berisha's ability to mastermind the trouble, though he may well seek to capitalise on it.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
A man tricking a hospital receptionist is not exactly a criminal mastermind.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026
A US military judge ruled Friday that confessions made by alleged 9/11 attacks mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to FBI agents are inadmissible and cannot be used against him at trial, The New York Times reported.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Goldberg painted Grant as the mastermind who, once caught, tried to minimize his involvement and turn over “a big fish” like Banks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Samira, of course, was the mastermind of the entire operation.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
The general assured them he distinguished between the masterminds behind the uprising and soldiers ordered to carry it out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
The church had previous accused successive governments of failing to identify the masterminds behind the bombings.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
Dan Houser was one of the masterminds behind revolutionary video game series Grand Theft Auto.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
They were the masterminds behind “Gasolina,” Daddy Yankee’s song that arguably mainstreamed reggaetón.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2025
The boy who had thought of a mouse to turn his windmill had thought out some of the sublimest things in nature, and was henceforward to rank as one of the few masterminds of science.
From Famous Men of Science by Sarah K. Bolton
Mr. El-Sayed has used Fight Agency, the consulting firm that masterminded the Mamdani mayoral campaign, for his digital and social-media strategy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
That failure led to Arne Slot being sacked as Liverpool manager just 12 months after he masterminded the club's Premier League title triumph in his first season after succeeding Jurgen Klopp.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
A whole new genre of celebrity divorce: Slate’s Scaachi Koul considers how Bunnie Xo, an archetypical “Cool Girl,” seems to have masterminded a new strategy for getting divorced in the public eye.
From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2026
Having now masterminded Ecuador's turnaround at the World Cup, the 45-year-old has perhaps achieved the biggest feat of his managerial career.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Or this bit about Nick: “Everyone agrees that Nick Allen masterminded this plot that cleverly raises issues about free speech and academic rules. He is the boy who invented the new word.”
From "Frindle" by Andrew Clements
Ramírez considered herself one of the creative directors of the cohort, masterminding video shoots and making sure their social media marketing stayed consistent with the festival’s branding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
They square the circle of Swift masterminding a full-scale trolling of media and fans while simultaneously hosting a cotton-candy celebrity circus.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
South Korea's ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol has been jailed for life for masterminding an insurrection by trying to impose military rule.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
Low is alleged to have gained his wealth after masterminding a scheme to steal billions from 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB, a Malaysian sovereign-wealth fund.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Postecoglou lasted just two turbulent seasons as Tottenham boss before being sacked in June -- only 16 days after masterminding their Europa League final victory over Manchester United.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2025
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
