mastermind
verb (used with object)
to plan and direct (a usually complex project or activity), especially skillfully.
masterminded
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past participleof mastermind.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof mastermind.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
mastermindverb (used with object)to plan and direct (a usually complex project or activity), especially skillfully.
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.
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
By comparison, the total illegal profit from the insider-trading scheme masterminded by hedge-fund titan Raj Rajaratnam was $53.8 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
He has masterminded what Williams calls "the most enjoyable season going and watching Saints since Tommy Wright was there".
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
In addition to collaborating on the company’s games, he masterminded all of their early marketing campaigns and shareware distribution schemes, with astounding results.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
