machinate

/ˈmækəˌneɪt/
verb
  1. To plan or plot something, usually in a secret or dishonest way.
    • She machinated behind the scenes to get her rival fired.
    • The villains machinated to take over the kingdom.
    • They machinated a scheme to cheat the investors.
What does "machinate" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean