concoct

verb

con·​coct kən-ˈkäkt 

kän-

concocted; concocting; concocts

transitive verb

1

: to prepare by combining raw materials

concoct a recipe

concocted a tropical fruit smoothie

2

: devise, fabricate

concoct an explanation

concocted a strategy to take control of the company

concocter noun

concoctive

kən-ˈkäk-tiv 

kän-

adjective

Synonyms

• devise
• invent
• construct

Examples of concoct in a Sentence

The drink was first concocted by a bartender in New York.

She concocted a stew from the leftovers.

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the smartest things the subgroup of three commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick did in concocting a 12-team CFP format was to grant automatic playoff berths to the top six conference champions (later five after the Pac-12’s collapse). —Chris Vannini, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025

Maybe the purposefully ambiguous coda was concocted to prove some sort of Rashomon-style truth-is-subjective point. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025

The very last thing the world needs is another conspiracy theory, but hoo-boy, Chiefs fans could concoct one about ESPN’s broadcasters. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025

Prosecutors described Sanaa Cunningham’s death as the result of a murder plot concocted by her father and stepmother, Germayne and Lisa Cunningham, following months of abuse and neglect. —Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 29 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin concoctus, past participle of concoquere to cook together, from com- + coquere to cook — more at cook

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for concoct

• deadlocked
• landlocked
• padlocked
• unblocked
• unlocked
• balked
• blocked
• chalked
• clocked
• cocked
• docked
• flocked

Kids Definition

concoct

verb

con·​coct kən-ˈkäkt 

kän-

1

: to prepare by combining various ingredients

concoct a stew

2

: to think up : invent

concoct a likely story

concoction

-ˈkäk-shən 

noun