orchestrate
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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orchestrates,
present (3rd person singular)
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orchestrated,
past participle, past
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orchestrating
present participle
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to compose or arrange (music) for performance by an orchestra.
-
to arrange or manipulate, especially by means of clever or thorough planning or maneuvering.
to orchestrate a profitable trade agreement.
verb
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to score or arrange (a piece of music) for orchestra
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to arrange, organize, or build up for special or maximum effect
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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orchestraternoun
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orchestrationnoun
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orchestratornoun
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overorchestrateverb
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reorchestrateverb
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unorchestratedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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orchestratesimple
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orchestratessimple
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have orchestratedperfect
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has orchestratedperfect
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am orchestratingprogressive
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are orchestratingprogressive
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is orchestratingprogressive
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have been orchestratingperfect progressive
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has been orchestratingperfect progressive
Past
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orchestratedsimple
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had orchestratedperfect
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was orchestratingprogressive
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were orchestratingprogressive
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had been orchestratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of orchestrate
First recorded in 1875–80; from French orchestr(er) (derivative of orchestre orchestra ) + -ate 1
Explanation
To orchestrate is to design or organize something, like a plan or a project. You could orchestrate an orchestra or you could just orchestrate a yard sale. An orchestra is a large group of classical musicians led by a conductor: it consists of many people playing together. Similarly, when we talk about orchestrating, someone is coordinating the activities of many people to accomplish something. The manager of an office orchestrates the business. A coach orchestrates the play of the team. Terrorist leaders orchestrate attacks. Orchestrating is like directing, and it applies to many more things than just music.
Vocabulary lists containing orchestrate
The Devil's Arithmetic
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The Fault in Our Stars
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"Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, Introduction and Afterword
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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:
The details of the incident are still unclear, but investigations are exploring whether Iran used potentially unwitting criminal proxies to orchestrate the plot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
The numbers point towards a player who looks to eliminate defenders himself rather than orchestrate attacks from wide areas.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Users can also create and orchestrate response workflows, automating the process and reducing response times.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
He strongly implies she was instructed to orchestrate her own arrest in order to create propaganda for the movement.
From Salon ● May 20, 2026
“We have the food and I’m about to orchestrate an entertainment propo that’s sure to be popular. After all, everybody loves a wedding.”
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Christy orchestrates the elaborate stagecraft that sells the illusion of a bustling organization.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The analysts say the move is consistent with the management’s comments positioning WorkBuddy as “a new platform” which orchestrates multiple models, tools and developer-built skills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The platform orchestrates and automates customers’ decision-making through AI.
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
Elizabeth Parmelee, a scholar of democracy and civic education at Metropolitan State University of Denver, explained how Colorado orchestrates its elections, which are conducted by mail, but without postmarks.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2026
Sammy orchestrates a reintroduction for me with Stone’s boss, one of the biggest numbers runners in Harlem: West Indian Archie.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
Optimum Communications creditors filed a lawsuit alleging the company, founder Patrick Drahi and certain managers orchestrated fraudulent asset transfers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Behind the scenes, the FBI saw in emails and company records, Kao orchestrated over $40,000 in donations from extended family in advance of the event.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
US prosecutors allege that the planning and financing of Moise's killing was orchestrated from Florida, as well as the Dominican Republic and Haiti itself.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Coach Harry Welch, on his way to a Hall of Fame career, orchestrated everything with a little help and belief from his players.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
George Blake's career as the KGB's most successful deep-penetration agent was wrapped in such carefully orchestrated deceptions.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
As the trial continues—Duane “Keffe D” Davis is accused of orchestrating Shakur’s murder, a charge he denies—here’s a primer on the beloved rapper’s discography.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
"We're in an emergency situation," he says, adding he is surviving on a few hours sleep a night while orchestrating the response.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
The show was always brilliant at orchestrating moods, with its slow-fast, quiet-loud contrasts, its extreme close-ups and noisy action scenes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Instead, the company bucked Wall Street norms, pulled off the biggest IPO ever and raised $75 billion, according to a regulatory filing, while orchestrating a successful first day as a publicly traded company.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026
Somewhere, probably in the shadows, Jake and Emma’s mom was orchestrating all the action over her headset.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions 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.
