contrive

verb

con·trive | \ kən-ˈtrīv

contrived; contriving

Definition of contrive

1a : 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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Examples of contrive in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet several plot points tend toward the contrived and would likely be more believable onstage, with the special intimacy that theater can afford. — Timothy Mcneil, New York Times, "Review: ‘Anything’ Finds a Small-Town Man Baffled by the Big City," 10 May 2018 Utterly contrived, but utterly charming, this quick, silly, funny film is pabulum superfood for anyone who believes in second chances and true love. . — Vogue, "The 55 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time," 1 Feb. 2019 Yes, which is just all contrived and, of course, completely ridiculous. — Fox News, "Pence on impact of anonymous NYT op-ed, Woodward's new book," 9 Sep. 2018 No need to get clinical about the plot turn, which seems at once intriguing and contrived. — Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, "‘Private Life’ Review: A Couple in Creative Crisis," 4 Oct. 2018 In an age of perfectly posed, poised, and sometimes photoshopped celebrity Instagrams, Alex Rodriguez’s was a silly reprieve, one that seemed off the cuff, or at the very least, not overtly contrived. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "Rejoice in This Video of Jennifer Lopez Singing “Don't Stop Believin’” to Alex Rodriguez on a Yacht," 7 Aug. 2018 The Egyptian has scored a record breaking 32 Premier League goals for Liverpool in his debut season for the club, while also contriving to win a host of individual awards. — SI.com, "Jurgen Klopp Claims it Will Take 15 Years for Mohamed Salah to Match Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo," 20 May 2018 The use of Christian images and icons feels contrived, however. — New York Times, "This Artist Foresaw Our Digital Future in a Meadow of Dandelions," 21 June 2018 Such theatrical devices are nothing new, and the multiple shifts and meetings between timelines could easily seem clichéd or contrived if not for the smooth, almost dispassionate way Fox handles them. — Robert Lloyd, latimes.com, "Director Jennifer Fox has turned the pain and confusion of childhood sexual abuse into ‘The Tale’," 25 May 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.