contrive

verb con·trive \ kən-ˈtrīv \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Examples: contrive in a Sentence

Definition of contrive

contrived; contriving

transitive verb

1 a : devise, plan

contrive ways of handling the situation

The prisoners contrived a way to escape.

b : to form or create in an artistic or ingenious manner

contrived household utensils from stone

Native Americans contrived weapons out of stone, wood, and bone.

2 : to bring about by stratagem or with difficulty : manage

he contrived to win their support

intransitive verb

: to make schemes

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contriver

noun

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Examples of contrive in a Sentence

The prisoners contrived a way to escape.
He contrived a meeting with the president.

Recent Examples of contrive from the Web

And yet there remains a level of frustration that feels outsized; perhaps even contrived.

— marcus hayes, Philly.com, "Philly sports fans should enjoy the ride | Marcus Hayes," 13 May 2018
Eventually the craft does take off, but never leaves the atmosphere, the better to contrive a parachute-free falling stunt for the big finish.

— New York Times, "Review: Jackie Chan Battles a Goofy Plot in ‘Bleeding Steel’," 5 July 2018
Despite its occasionally melodramatic and contrived plot elements, the screenplay co-written by Vranik and Ivan Szabo never succumbs to bathos.

— frank scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Citizen': Film Review," 5 July 2018
Moments like that, in which semi-surreal details are happened upon rather than contrived, demonstrate Van Sant at his most easeful, and the languor is sustained by Jonah Hill, as Donnie, a rich and sickly soul who becomes John’s A.A. sponsor.

— anthony lane, The New Yorker, "Gus Van Sant’s Semi-Surreal “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot”," 13 July 2018
Yes, the plot is contrived, and implausible, and full of masks and identity thefts, but the film aggressively owns its premise.

— refinery29.com, "Mission Impossible: Fallout Is As Wild & Fun As Henry Cavill's Mustache," 12 July 2018
There was nothing contrived about the violence to Jack Perkins, who remembered reporting for NBC from the top of a mobile unit truck in Chicago as police clashed with protesters and injured two network camera operators.

— stephen battaglio, latimes.com, "War, riots and assassinations: 1968's TV news paved the way for today's endless, opinion-heavy coverage," 23 Mar. 2018
Use strong colors like canary and fluorescent pink paired with pastel pink, blue and shades of beige, but remember to distribute your palette unevenly to keep the look cool, not contrived.

— putnam & putnam, Harper's BAZAAR, "Introducing: The Wedding Colors For Spring," 17 Jan. 2017
Nothing about the course feels forced or contrived.

— gary d'amato, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "D'Amato: How Sand Valley Golf Resort is transforming central Wisconsin," 30 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contrive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of contrive

Middle English controven, contreven, from Anglo-French controver, contrever, from Medieval Latin contropare to compare, from Latin com- + Vulgar Latin *tropare to compose, find — more at troubadour

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

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