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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This reflects conscientiousness, or the tendency to plan, organize and execute systematically versus improvising and adapting in real time.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026 -
So neighbors have been improvising.—
Gavin J. Quinton,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Health ministry officials and the ministry of trade are also devising tax breaks to incentivize local manufacturing, said Modise.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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And commissioners spent all that time devising the College Sports Commission in an attempt to stabilize the NIL/portal market, then sit back and let one school in their conference steal yet another star QB half an hour before the portal closes.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Reporters including Sheen can be seen concocting covert plots to meet with them face to face, the success or failure of which briefly becomes an intense point of interest.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
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The reality is that the AI is concocting elaborate personas, faking as though humans are writing about human woes.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Wisconsin doesn't have a crime on the books for faking a death.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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After faking a slap shot, Kucherov had sent a pass down to Guentzel.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 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 26 Feb. 2026.
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