as in gadgets
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
built a contraption for automatically buttering toast
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Recent Examples of contraptions
Smaller bamboo contraptions often poke out of windows, or cover air conditioning units and balconies.
—
Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
So Ukrainian and Russian mechanics keep tinkering with their contraptions to keep the tanks in the fight.
—Marco Hernandez, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
In this case, pressing L2 and R2 at the same time activates a type of vision that will show players demonic contraptions that are invisible to the human eye.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2025
The sweet, young blasted-to-pieces kids are hooked up to contraptions or lie there too depressed to even blink.
—Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
These machines are typically massive, tentacled contraptions that require billions of dollars and decades to construct.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2024
Theater chains are dreaming up more and more whimsical—and, in some cases, distracting—contraptions in hopes of capturing attention.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 26 Nov. 2024
Related Video Getting Ready With Úrsula Corberó But cold water immersion can be incorporated in many different ways, without fancy contraptions or large price tags.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 23 Nov. 2024
YouTube has some examples of musicians wielding the fiery contraptions.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
So Ukrainian and Russian mechanics keep tinkering with their contraptions to keep the tanks in the fight.
—Marco Hernandez, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
In this case, pressing L2 and R2 at the same time activates a type of vision that will show players demonic contraptions that are invisible to the human eye.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2025
The sweet, young blasted-to-pieces kids are hooked up to contraptions or lie there too depressed to even blink.
—Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
These machines are typically massive, tentacled contraptions that require billions of dollars and decades to construct.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2024
Theater chains are dreaming up more and more whimsical—and, in some cases, distracting—contraptions in hopes of capturing attention.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 26 Nov. 2024
Related Video Getting Ready With Úrsula Corberó But cold water immersion can be incorporated in many different ways, without fancy contraptions or large price tags.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 23 Nov. 2024
YouTube has some examples of musicians wielding the fiery contraptions.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contraptions
gadgets
Noun
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The middle aisle is restocked with home goods, organizers, candles, cleaning gadgets, even clothing and shoes, and new ALDI food items are stocked on the shelves, perched and ready for the deals to be snapped up by customers.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
30 Sep. 2025
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As people who write about food and test kitchen gadgets for a living, Bon Appétit editors are constantly surrounded by a wide range of products.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contraptions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraptions. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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