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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Well after midnight, after two long pieces—and an hour of improvising—Jarrett brought the music to a delicate close.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026 -
The breakthrough came when Tash resurfaced months-old recordings of the two casually improvising at the piano.—
Alison Weinflash,
Rolling Stone,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Those ping-pong balls are then placed in a plastic drum designed by Smartplay International, a company that specializes in devising lottery machines.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
11 May 2026
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Prosecutors have also alleged that while out on bond, Gilley discussed plans to flee the country and obtain a new identity, including inquiries about securing foreign identification and devising a plan to remove his GPS monitor.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 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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As Gyllenhaal begins concocting her third directorial feature, could Curtis be part of the picture?—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The city has been wildly overspending, faking a balanced budget with rosy projections of revenue and raids on the city’s budget reserves.—
Susan Shelley,
Daily News,
13 May 2026
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Many ships still in the Persian Gulf switched off their AIS location transponders, or were faking their locations this week, a CBS News analysis found Wednesday.—
May 6,
CBS News,
6 May 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 16 May. 2026.
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