as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
not bad for an ad-lib comedy routine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in improvisation
something that is performed, made, or done without preparation
you would never suspect that that stirring speech was an ad-lib
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to improvise
to perform, make, or do without preparation
had to ad-lib constructing a piñata because she'd never actually seen it being done
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ad-lib
Sabrina Park, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Mar. 2023
Kyle Denis, Billboard, 14 July 2025
Being able to ad-lib was such a steep learning curve for me.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2025
While much of the show was scripted, Lowe was also allowed to ad-lib, which further helped solidify the show’s off-kilter, edgy sense of humor.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2025
During their jam session with Bad Bunny, the group was able to ad-lib an element unique to their hometown: the tale of Jacinto, a farmer who is dragged by his cow into a ocean blowhole, famously known as Jacinto’s pit cave.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
First of all, Megan gets to ad-lib every night and comes up with really funny lines every single night.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
But little did Pearson know, Key would one-up these references with an ad-lib.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024
According to Patton Oswalt, the cast would ad-lib jokes for Reynolds to say to Blade in Snipes’s absence.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024
Adjective
At the same time, more ad-lib moments are often expected onstage, bound to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
—Sabrina Park, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Mar. 2023
Verb
An ad-lib should be obnoxious — sometimes — but tasteful.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 14 July 2025
Being able to ad-lib was such a steep learning curve for me.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2025
While much of the show was scripted, Lowe was also allowed to ad-lib, which further helped solidify the show’s off-kilter, edgy sense of humor.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2025
During their jam session with Bad Bunny, the group was able to ad-lib an element unique to their hometown: the tale of Jacinto, a farmer who is dragged by his cow into a ocean blowhole, famously known as Jacinto’s pit cave.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
First of all, Megan gets to ad-lib every night and comes up with really funny lines every single night.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
But little did Pearson know, Key would one-up these references with an ad-lib.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024
According to Patton Oswalt, the cast would ad-lib jokes for Reynolds to say to Blade in Snipes’s absence.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ad-lib
Adjective
-
Christmas Eve is her favorite day of the year, but she’s just been informed that her adult children won’t be coming over tonight because her ex-husband has decided to throw an impromptu wedding reception after his impromptu courthouse wedding with his second wife.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
-
No longer do white picket fences divide neighbors and security gates enclose neighborhoods, but walking trails zig zag throughout the homes with lush landscaping to give access to impromptu social intersections alongside nature.—
Jennifer Castenson,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Rewinds show how one poor decision can snowball into greater issues down the road, but improvisation remains key.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Carlos Alcaraz produced a sensational behind-the-back shot during his victory over Arthur Rinderknech at the US Open, winning the point from his quick-thinking improvisation.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
She, whose life would end in the last year of this leaden, sick, suffocating century, in a noose improvised with the rope of a gymnastics ring.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The men did not have proper equipment for a badminton match but improvised.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Ohs has described his method as collaborative and as calculatedly improvisational, a mix of composition in advance and real-time discovery.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Sep. 2025
-
But the Grateful Dead were an improvisational band.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
There are many efforts underway by AI scholars, research labs, and AI makers to devise AI so that the AI can do a better job at coping with human delusional thinking.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Ken Goldberg, a University of California, Berkeley professor, devised a novel solution to bridge this gap.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The suspect also had a smoke bomb, or a firework that would produce smoke, but no bomb or improvised explosives were found on the scene, according to O'Hara.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
-
But this shift was not an improvised experiment.—
Martín Toro,
Rolling Stone,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Not only is the kitchen fully on display but a separate alcove is given over to his highly technical lab, a play space dedicated to fermentation, aging, preserving and otherwise concocting.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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On paper, Dallas has the tools to do just that, but NBA insider Zach Buckley, of Bleacher Report, has concocted a trade proposal that sees the Mavericks strengthen their forward position.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The future, instead, seems to belong to the teams and coaches who are willing to be a little more flexible and see their role as providing a platform on which their players might extemporize.—
Rory Smith,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2023
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Friends said he was talented and could extemporize about anything.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Ad-lib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ad-lib. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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