1
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a new contrivance for cleaning computer keyboards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contrivance
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
The otherwise puzzling choice to film her monologuing about Mormonism while driving feels like a contrivance to extract her from the luxurious interiors that are Bravolebrities’ natural habitat.
—Judy Berman, Time, 12 Nov. 2025
These contrivances became so well known that, in 2009, the All-American Rejects guitarist Nick Wheeler spent much of his appearance mocking them.
—Kim Hew-Low, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
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
The otherwise puzzling choice to film her monologuing about Mormonism while driving feels like a contrivance to extract her from the luxurious interiors that are Bravolebrities’ natural habitat.
—Judy Berman, Time, 12 Nov. 2025
These contrivances became so well known that, in 2009, the All-American Rejects guitarist Nick Wheeler spent much of his appearance mocking them.
—Kim Hew-Low, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrivance
Noun
-
From a handy travel document organizer to a $10 luggage scale, these travel accessories and gadgets will help everyone get through the check-in line headache-free.—
Kayla Becker,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The viral beauty gadget stimulates collagen, boosts circulation, and leaves you with plump, youthful results.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Not to sound lazy, but there are some pretty neat inventions that have come along to make this process much easier.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The more monumental the invention, the longer adoption takes.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Now, for the first time, an experiment hints that an ape in captivity can have an imagination.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
When Luckman arrived in Chicago, the Bears playbook had hundreds of designs from the T Formation, with hundreds of variations in the playbook and seemingly hundreds more in the imagination.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Crashes, luge athletes will tell you, are part of the game, a necessary teaching tool that helps young lugers learn how to navigate sliding on their back down an icy course, sometimes faster than 90 miles per hour.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The Enquirer's Neighborhood Snapshot project is an interactive, online tool for Cincinnatians to better understand their city and its neighborhoods.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In 2023, the company leased eight aircraft to an innovation arm of the United States Air Force and defense technology firm MTSI.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Enhancing guest satisfaction The product gives guests something new to explore in Nassau, said Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean’s chief product innovation officer.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There's also a palpable new seam of imaginativeness among residents.—
Toby Skinner,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Using this contraption, Grigson has performed sophisticated experiments on GLP-1s and addiction.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Get creative by creating a marble maze and building a one-of-a-kind contraption with cardboard.—
Elena Donovan Mauer,
Parents,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The ability to make something out of nothing may seem uniquely human — a bedrock of creativity that’s led to new kinds of art, music and more.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Baked sliders, a longtime party favorite, are another game day essential that Neidus said offer room for creativity.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivance. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
