contrived; contriving; contrives
1
: to make schemes
contriver
noun
con·triv·er
kən-ˈtrīv-ər
plural -s
: one that contrives
hasty contriver of popular fiction—
A. C. Ward
A. C. Wardcontrivers of leisure-time activities—Mary McCarthy
Mary McCarthyan excellent contriver in housekeeping—Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver GoldsmithExamples of contrive in a Sentence
Verb
The prisoners contrived a way to escape.
He contrived a meeting with the president.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Credibility gets strained pretty quickly as the playwrights contrive to get the characters to face each other in person.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
Even his courtship with Bess Wallace was accented by Truman contriving a tennis court for her — the dynamics of which are captured through photos of and letters about his efforts.
—
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
Her early death, after an illness that the father initially contrives to ignore then notices just in time to capture her desperation in a fine sketch, leaves Mimí utterly disoriented, yearning only to achieve a level of self-control and detachment that will spare him their tumultuous struggle.
—
Tim Parks,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contrive
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Verb
The work lies in making that interface feel truthful rather than contrived.
—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Credibility gets strained pretty quickly as the playwrights contrive to get the characters to face each other in person.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
Even his courtship with Bess Wallace was accented by Truman contriving a tennis court for her — the dynamics of which are captured through photos of and letters about his efforts.
—
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
Her early death, after an illness that the father initially contrives to ignore then notices just in time to capture her desperation in a fine sketch, leaves Mimí utterly disoriented, yearning only to achieve a level of self-control and detachment that will spare him their tumultuous struggle.
—
Tim Parks,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Cite this Entry
“Contrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contrive. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
contrive
verb
con·trive
kən-ˈtrīv 
contrived; contriving
1
: plan entry 2 sense 1, plot
contrive a way to escape
2
: to form or make in a skillful or clever way : invent
3
: bring about, manage
contriving to make ends meet
contriver
noun
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