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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of contrivance
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
Even the country’s name was a contrivance, borrowed from an empire that had flourished a thousand years earlier and hundreds of miles away, in what is now Mauritania and Mali.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Stories like these usually lurch from one contrivance and complication to the next, but Chad Powers knots itself into a genuinely thorny conflict by the finale.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
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
Even the country’s name was a contrivance, borrowed from an empire that had flourished a thousand years earlier and hundreds of miles away, in what is now Mauritania and Mali.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Stories like these usually lurch from one contrivance and complication to the next, but Chad Powers knots itself into a genuinely thorny conflict by the finale.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrivance
Noun
-
Among the machines in my regular rotation are a single-pint gadget and a 2-quart canister model (that’s the kind with the frozen bowl).—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The little shop’s name comes from the quartermaster character, Q, who provides the gadgets and, more to the point, Aston Martin cars for James Bond in the famous movies.—
Peter Valdes-Dapena,
CNN Money,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Visionary Award recognizes an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of VFX to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The printing press, clocks, muskets — all these inventions changed humankind forever.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For their part, many voters always seem to be searching for some idealized candidate who exists only in their imagination.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The Visionary Award recognizes an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of VFX to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Gardening Tools Garden tools should be cleaned after every use to remove fungi, bacteria, and pests that can be transferred to healthy plants.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
9 Jan. 2026
-
And keep your in-flight essentials like headphones, sleep mask, e-reader, and other tech tools together in your personal item that stays with you at the seat rather than in the overhead bin.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Anthony Scott is the global product and innovation director at Havwoods, a wood flooring company based in Britain.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
-
As scrutiny shifts from AI ambition to AI execution, CFOs may find that governance—not innovation—becomes the real test.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
His hair-trigger homemade contraption pressured all three major networks into giving Kiritsis airtime to explain his grievances to the public.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Modified from machines used by Planters factories to wrap peanuts, this contraption envelops 5,000 MetroCards every hour—or more than one every second.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
This innovative approach not only speeds the design process but also frees up designers to focus on more creative tasks, demonstrating how AI can be used as a tool to augment human creativity rather than replace it.—
Li Jun,
Footwear News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
As a member of the Fine Art League of Cupertino, Choudhury volunteers his time and creativity to help people connect and grow through art.—
Diana Argabrite,
Mercury News,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivance. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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