1
as in to devise
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to plot
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
the mischievous boys were always contriving and trying to pull the prank that would be the talk of the school
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to negotiate
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care
contrived a way of planning the surprise party without their catching on to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contrive
This time, specific references were stripped away, leaving only a distillation of the dark rage evoked by metal and punk, equal parts elemental and contrived.
—
Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Someone’s phone is always vibrating, a gimmick that often strikes me as contrived in a movie-movie but feels totally normalized in a reality-movie like The Moment.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Themes flow into the story from the Playhouse’s program in ways that don’t seem forced or contrived.
—Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Well, the first and third mucked up their stories with some overly contrived lore about cults and gods, and the fourth was an experiment for the formula that didn’t quite work.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Someone’s phone is always vibrating, a gimmick that often strikes me as contrived in a movie-movie but feels totally normalized in a reality-movie like The Moment.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Themes flow into the story from the Playhouse’s program in ways that don’t seem forced or contrived.
—Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Well, the first and third mucked up their stories with some overly contrived lore about cults and gods, and the fourth was an experiment for the formula that didn’t quite work.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrive
Verb
-
The crowd of about 50 people also began to devise a plan that would address public health in the absence of the hospital, which was abruptly shuttered last month after hospital ownership cited financial distress.—
Cam'ron Hardy,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
This byzantine corporate structure apparently did not exist until Altman devised it.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Baiamonte also plotted unique calls for every Heat player.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
-
One tells a story of an A-list actress, aided by some of the biggest celebrities in the world who include husband Ryan Reynolds and friend Taylor Swift, plotting to seize control of a director’s passion project.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the time, Epstein was serving his 18-month sentence in the Palm Beach County stockade but was allowed to spend 12 hours a day, six days a week, in his office under a work-release program his attorneys had negotiated.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Spice levels are negotiated with shorthand, on a scale from one to five.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Police said Wang had slashed their throats and concocted a story about arriving home and shooting at a fleeing intruder responsible for the killings.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, scientists identified the virus, deciphered its secrets, concocted a vaccine, put it into production, and rendered the disease manageable – all within a year.—
David Blumenthal,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The other is the tale of an A-list actress, aided by some of the biggest celebrities in the world who include husband Ryan Reynolds and friend Taylor Swift, scheming to rip away control of a director’s passion project and destroy his reputation.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Former City Councilwoman Tiawana Brown’s daughter admitted to scheming with her family to use fake documents and steal pandemic relief money from the federal government.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The concierge specializes in Kyoto’s cultural events, and can help access exclusive ochaya with an interpreter, score tickets to the theater, book dinner reservations, a huge help in Kyoto, or help arrange meetings with monks and priests at the city’s Shinto shrines and temples.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
-
These could be arranged into longer, songlike sequences that played automatically.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Will Inter Miami have to re-invent some of its fan base with the move south?—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Horvath also had a hand in inventing PhenoAge in 2018 and GrimAge in 2019.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The wildlife that Bied unlawfully imported and conspired to import was protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as well as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
-
And both the scuttlebutt and spoilers could conceivably conspire to hurt the bottom line.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrive. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
