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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
John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Another photo showed the PD and Animal Control using a contraption with a harness to get the dog out, while the final shot showed the dog safely outside of the dumpster, being taken care of by a police officer.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
This little contraption hooks onto the tray table to give your legs a more natural, elevated position.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2025
Ditch the giant Hula-Hoop in Vegas Even though Fremont Street’s pedestrian mall resembles a circus, the Las Vegas City Council does not permit such cirque contraptions as unicycles or Hula-Hoops wider than 4 feet.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 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 2 May. 2025.
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contraption
noun
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