as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
not bad for an ad-lib comedy routine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
The ad-lib dramatically changed the scene from how Trier and Vogt had written it.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Puzzled, Aggie climbs the stairs and — as Nile continues to ad-lib — finds Teddy, dead, suffocated with a bag, in Cooper’s room, which is decked out to match the live feed.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
Recently, Chance The Rapper told DJ Bootleg Kev about Mac playing a vital role in one of his most famous ad-libs, noting that the moment occurred during an LA recording session with Chuck Inglish.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Urban often ad-libs comments when performing the song live.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Between the ad-libs to start the cut and rapping over drill 808s mixed with Jersey club, Cardi appears to be taking a page out of the Ice Spice playbook.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025
Being able to ad-lib was such a steep learning curve for me.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2025
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
They were encouraged to ad-lib in character as Guest collected more than 60 hours of footage before taking a year to whittle it down to 84 minutes.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
The ad-lib dramatically changed the scene from how Trier and Vogt had written it.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Puzzled, Aggie climbs the stairs and — as Nile continues to ad-lib — finds Teddy, dead, suffocated with a bag, in Cooper’s room, which is decked out to match the live feed.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
Recently, Chance The Rapper told DJ Bootleg Kev about Mac playing a vital role in one of his most famous ad-libs, noting that the moment occurred during an LA recording session with Chuck Inglish.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Urban often ad-libs comments when performing the song live.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Between the ad-libs to start the cut and rapping over drill 808s mixed with Jersey club, Cardi appears to be taking a page out of the Ice Spice playbook.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025
Being able to ad-lib was such a steep learning curve for me.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ad-lib
Adjective
-
Still, Gordy’s mansion in Detroit’s Boston-Edison district remained a home base, the spot for family gatherings and — in the lower-level ballroom — the site of impromptu artist performances witnessed by Terry and her cousins.—
Brian McCollum,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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The relaxed-fit camp shirt teams perfectly with wide-leg pants, and both are crafted from breezy linen that’s ideal for long days of sightseeing or impromptu café stops.—
Paris Wilson,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His practice hinges on improvisation, resulting in blunt, expressive, and unpredictable work.—
Maxie Younger,
Pitchfork,
21 Apr. 2026
-
But drag is messy and pushed me toward improvisation.—
Gabe Montesanti,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Advertisement Hormuz has made painfully visible what happens when governments are left to improvise.—
Eyck Freymann,
Time,
17 Apr. 2026
-
No formal recipe required, just a hot pan and a willingness to improvise.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Their improvisational morning menu will draw from the cuisine of Oaxaca’s Sierra Norte and the Indigenous cooking of Martinez’s Zapotec culture.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In the BeatLabs area on Level 4, guests can make their own songs at a digital mixing board, and in the Level 2 Garage, small groups can play guitars, keyboards, and drums, following the onscreen prompts or staging their own improvisational jam sessions.—
Paul J. Heney,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Their philosophy from the start was to devise a scheme that could help save Jokic’s legs for playoff basketball.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The third-year wing said he’s been working closely with Brown to devise methods of vexing Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers’ most dangerous offensive threat.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And the group’s most recent album, 2025’s Live in Amsterdam, showcases the kind of spontaneous improvised moments, including Peters’ bass solos, that set GoldFish apart from many dance acts with more strictly electronic sounds.—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
8 Apr. 2026
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In Russia and Ukraine, soldiers have learned to protect their tanks from drone strikes using improvised nets and boxes, which cover the vehicles like a turtle shell.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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According to the report, workers illegally pocketed between $20,000 and more than $41,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans from a massive federal COVID-19 pandemic relief effort – some by concocting companies that didn't exist to pocket federal assistance funds.—
Chris Tye,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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In an interview with The Times, Sid confessed that the whole thing was a lie concocted by a publicist in the 1940s.—
Anabel Sosa,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
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 23 Apr. 2026.
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