as in improvisations
something that is performed, made, or done without preparation
you would never suspect that that stirring speech was an ad-lib
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in improvises
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of ad-libs
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
Between the ad-libs to start the cut and rapping over drill 808s mixed with Jersey club, Cardi appears to be taking a page out of the Ice Spice playbook.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ad-libs
Noun
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Her education was a synthesis of Classical and Romantic, with the Scottish grounding in logic, reason and intellectual persuasion given a fillip by the improvisations of Miss Christina Kay.—
Frances Wilson
September 23,
Literary Hub,
23 Sep. 2025
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While remaining commercially viable, Denson is a thoughtful performer who can create next-level improvisations.—
Bret Saunders,
Denver Post,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Marcus du Sautoy believes that the creative impulses underlying mathematics and art are so similar that any artist working in any form improvises mathematically even when the artist doesn’t know it.—
Rebecca Coffey,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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At one point, Paul improvises a blowtorch and singes Carey’s face, leaving his peepers hairless.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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No one wants to give up on Erica, especially Uhura, who devises a plan to send another shuttle through the wormhole to rescue Erica.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
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Mary’s enterprising sister Edith (Laura Carmichael) devises a plan to invite Coward, in whose show their friend Guy Dexter (Dominic West), now secretly in a relationship with their former servant Thomas (Robert James-Collier), is appearing.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On fourth-and-2 from 48-yard line, Nix fakes pitch to Dobbins and Sutton is open from moment left line of scrimmage because of formation.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
21 Sep. 2025
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The story follows Bárbara, rebellious and broke, who fakes her way into a convent for a private room and some peace—only to find herself on an unexpected spiritual journey.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ad-libs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ad-libs. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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