AD-LIBBING Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

ad-libbing

verb

present participle of ad-lib

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for ad-libbing

Verb

Governors and county boards are improvising, from moratoriums to new permitting rules, because Washington has no framework, even as the industry asks for one.

— Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Faux freckles grew into a beauty trend as freckles shifted from a feature often concealed to one people deliberately recreate, often improvising with everyday makeup like brow pencils and eyeliner before dedicated products arrived.

— Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of improvising

Verb

With her knack for devising novel solutions to seemingly insoluble problems, no one was better suited for the job.

— Dean Robbins, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Mungiu may have a less sadistic streak and a more active camera, but the two filmmakers share a particular commitment to narrative indeterminacy, devising intricate yet incomplete crime-story plots that function broadly as sociopolitical allegories.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of devising

Verb

Harry and Meghan appear more interested in faking the image of royalty than embracing its purpose.

— Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
The cases target people the department accuses of concealing criminal activity, faking their identities or lying to the government to get their citizenship.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of faking

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

ad-libbed

ad-libbing

ad-libs

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“Ad-libbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ad-libbing. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ad-libbing

verb

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