1
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a new contrivance for cleaning computer keyboards
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2
as in invention
something (as a device) created for the first time through the use of the imagination
despite the many modern contrivances for saving time and labor, we seem to have less leisure and energy than ever before
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in imagination
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others
in that writer's hands, narrative contrivance can often deteriorate into pointless gimmickry
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrivance
The script, also by Ahn, leans slightly too much on contrivances to nudge the relationship along.
—
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
Ponies is overly reliant on coincidences and characters making unlikely mistakes to keep the plot moving, and all that contrivance leads to some Swiss-cheese-like plotting in the season’s back half.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Jan. 2026
In another area of the factory, machines installed four years earlier already lack certain even-more-modern contrivances.
—Sacbee.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Dara’s performance remains its only bright element but even that gets lost in the many surrounding contrivances.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
Ponies is overly reliant on coincidences and characters making unlikely mistakes to keep the plot moving, and all that contrivance leads to some Swiss-cheese-like plotting in the season’s back half.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Jan. 2026
In another area of the factory, machines installed four years earlier already lack certain even-more-modern contrivances.
—Sacbee.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Dara’s performance remains its only bright element but even that gets lost in the many surrounding contrivances.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrivance
Noun
-
Handy kitchen gadgets are among the best deals to grab right now, including this best-selling vegetable chopper that makes quick work of dicing, chopping, and prepping ingredients for your next meal.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Kitsure Extra-Long Shoe Rack This shoe organizer proves tidying up your home doesn’t require fancy gadgets or big price tags.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But he is also credited with the invention of a screw water pump — still used in power plants today — and a means of approximating pi, among many other things.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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Financing the commercialization of innovations With all its scientific strengths, Europe’s central challenge is not invention but company-building at scale.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But there are also surreal, haunting touches – a pair of boots nailed to a tree; a dead man's return; a hellish horizon in flames – that show the past's grip on the imagination.—
David Morgan,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
McCarthy opens the film in the desert with the conquistador from Ohm’s imagination about to commit murder.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Digital tool use has risen by roughly 50% in the last five years, and drone technology adoption grew by 48% between 2019 and 2023.—
Metro Creative Services,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
-
There’s also a zippered top section for tools, like brushes, tweezers, and nail files.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The crypto industry has long touted blockchain’s capacity for 24/7 trading, as well as a trading innovation known as perpetual futures.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Hughes has more than 25 years of experience, including leadership roles, with the YMCA and has focused on supporting health and youth innovations, a museum news release said.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There's also a palpable new seam of imaginativeness among residents.—
Toby Skinner,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Fowler tried all sorts of techniques and contraptions—mouth tape, oral appliances, a special therapeutic water bottle, tough Turkish chewing gum.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
15 Mar. 2026
-
However, with a bit of practice, these fairly portable (though often heavy) contraptions bridge the gap between casual night photography and more serious astrophotography.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
From its humble origins using just a few simple ingredients, pizza has become the ultimate blank canvas inviting endless culinary creativity.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
14 Mar. 2026
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These practices support employees not only in managing stress but in accessing clarity, creativity and emotional regulation more reliably.—
Elan Gepner-Dales,
Rolling Stone,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivance. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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