as in improvising
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-libbing
Verb
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The group sings and harmonizes with the instruments, improvising every now and then.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026 -
That's all Masali just improvising.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Last week, the council voted to direct the city manager to study moving emergency operations, dispatch and the service call center out of City Hall while devising funding plans for repairing the building, staying there and relocating.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Mar. 2026
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While Green gave him instant advice, Kerr was devising ways to get Porzingis involved.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As Gyllenhaal begins concocting her third directorial feature, could Curtis be part of the picture?—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
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Gyllenhaal, who also wrote her film, has corrected the imbalance, refashioning the story from the Bride’s perspective and concocting a protagonist of unfiltered feminist fury.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The crueler ones accused her of faking the whole thing and staging the incident for attention.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
11 Mar. 2026
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On the right, Tucker Carlson has repeatedly asserted that Buttigieg only pretends to be gay, and is in fact a straight man faking homosexuality for political clout.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ad-libbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ad-libbing. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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