machinations

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.

“If a story is told well, if its history seems consistent, then the machinations putting it into place can be temporarily overlooked or turned into a fun story of their own,” Gordon said.

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026

His machinations upset Conrad to the point where she declared him to be a “sucky person,” a moment that lives on in GIFs.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Who’s pulling the strings, and what purpose do their machinations serve?

From Salon • May 6, 2026

But despite mom’s self-serving machinations and to her infinite surprise, Mary, saintly and wise, starts to prove herself irresistible to men.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

The machinations of European powers and the funny mustached German dictator were as remote to our island in the fall of 1941 as Silas Marner, which sapped our energies through eighth-grade English.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson