orchestrate

verb or·ches·trate \ ˈȯr-kə-ˌstrāt \

Updated on: 16 Nov 2017

Definition of orchestrate

orchestrated; orchestrating

transitive verb

1 a : to compose or arrange (music) for an orchestra

The composer orchestrated the music for the symphony orchestra.

b : to provide with orchestration

orchestrate a ballet

2 : to arrange or combine so as to achieve a desired or maximum effect

orchestrated preparations for the banquet

a carefully orchestrated stunt

—

orchestrator

or less commonly orchestrater play \ˈȯr-kə-ˌstrā-tər\ noun

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Examples of orchestrate in a Sentence

He recently orchestrated a musical.
She orchestrated the entire event.
It's still unclear who was responsible for orchestrating the attack.
A strike was orchestrated by union members.

Recent Examples of orchestrate from the Web

Offensive coordinator Pat Wire and quarterback Ray Niro orchestrate a no-huddle offense that will host Glenbrook South (5-4) at 7 p.m. Friday in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs.

— rich mayor, chicagotribune.com, "Football notes: Barrington, Lake Zurich, Hersey, St. Viator," 24 Oct. 2017
As any student of Greek tragedy can attest, a hero’s demise, even when orchestrated by his enemies, is intrinsically the result of the protagonist’s own hubris.

— david friend, vanityfair.com, "Monica Lewinsky Opens Up About the Year That Politics, and Her Life, Changed Forever," 27 Sep. 2017
However, historians and scholars have scoffed at the theory that LBJ orchestrated his boss’s death.

— tierney mcafee, PEOPLE.com, "The Biggest JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theories and How They’ve Been (Mostly) Debunked," 25 Oct. 2017
Even more compellingly perhaps, the orchestrating role that the orexins play in the brain suggests the market for such a drug would go far beyond narcolepsy.

— henry nicholls, CNN, "The science of sleep: Finding a cure for narcolepsy," 24 Oct. 2017
In 2014, Russian intelligence agents orchestrated a hack on Yahoo that compromised 500 million user accounts, federal prosecutors have alleged.

— dan goodin, Ars Technica, "Facebook is struggling to meet the burden of securing itself, security chief says," 19 Oct. 2017
Kurz played a role in the government’s reversal of Austria’s previously welcoming refugee policy last year, and orchestrated a tightening of borders on the Balkan route to reduce the influx of migrants.

— jonah shepp, Daily Intelligencer, "Why Austria’s Election Should Worry Liberals," 16 Oct. 2017
Law enforcement suspected that Jones’ parents helped orchestrate her disappearance to deny her ex-husband’s joint custody of their son.

— Ramona Sentinel, "U.S. Marshals find missing woman, baby in Ramona," 4 Oct. 2017
Nguyen handles desserts while King orchestrates the rest of the menu at their 18-month-old restaurant, King’s Landing Bistro.

— kristine hansen, Vogue, "Hungry After Hiking Zion National Park? Small-Town Utah Is Home to Some World-Class Food," 1 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'orchestrate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of orchestrate

1858

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

ORCHESTRATE Defined for English Language Learners

orchestrate

verb

Definition of orchestrate for English Language Learners

: to write or change (a piece of music) so that it can be played by an orchestra
: to organize or plan (something that is complicated)

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See words that rhyme with orchestrate Spanish Central: Translation of orchestrate Nglish: Translation of orchestrate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of orchestrate for Arabic speakers

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orchestrate

Definition of orchestrate

orchestrator

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Other Music Terms

ORCHESTRATE Defined for English Language Learners

orchestrate

Definition of orchestrate for English Language Learners

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orchestrate

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orchestrator

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ORCHESTRATE Defined for English Language Learners

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