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What exactly is a contraption?
In the words of one Little Mermaid, “I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty.” It would have been on-theme (though perhaps a bit clunky) for the aquatic princess to include in her siren song the word contraption. Synonymous with both gadget and gizmo, and widget too, in referring to mechanical and electronic devices, contraption is also one of a raft of terms people reach for when talking about various human-made bits and bobs, whether mechanical or not. (It's thought to have possibly been formed as a blend of contrivance, trap, and invention.) Want more thingamabob words? Try doohickey, thingamajig, dingus, or doodad.
Examples of contraption in a Sentence
Alvina Wang, Mercury News, 20 May 2025
The planes were rickety contraptions with no brakes that belched castor oil and had to be dragged to a stop with a tail skid after landing.
—Victor Luckerson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
No one has seen the seventh kind, the fearsome Night Fury, until Hiccup manages to knock one out of the sky with a homemade bola contraption.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 June 2025
The robot contraption all hooks up to a motor that Williams controls from a nearby desk.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for contraption
Cite this Entry
“Contraption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contraption. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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contraption
noun
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