as in improvised
to perform, make, or do without preparation
had to ad-lib constructing a piñata because she'd never actually seen it being done
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ad-libbed
Verb
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Two shows, much of it improvised, will be staged at The Conrad in La Jolla next Sunday and that heightened, in-the-moment energy transmits to the audience.—
Marcia Luttrell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026 -
The dialogue is heavily improvised, with Davis letting the singers tell their own stories.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Paul Simon, who was headed to retirement amid debilitating hearing loss, has concocted a helpful new stage monitor setup that has him back on the road.—
BRIAN MCCOLLUM,
Freep.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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Galen concocted medicines that seem strange to modern ears, such as treating ailments like inflammation with feces sprinkled with thyme to mask the odor.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Vibration testing is a ground test devised to put an aircraft through its paces without taking to the skies.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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The show features 52 images from the museum’s collection dating from 1860 to 1940, all of which were devised using collage or montage.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ad-libbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ad-libbed. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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