1
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a new contrivance for cleaning computer keyboards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in invention
something (as a device) created for the first time through the use of the imagination
despite the many modern contrivances for saving time and labor, we seem to have less leisure and energy than ever before
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in imagination
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others
in that writer's hands, narrative contrivance can often deteriorate into pointless gimmickry
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrivance
The dialogue is overwrought, the plot contrivances are gratuitous, and the show has never been more fun.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
The script, also by Ahn, leans slightly too much on contrivances to nudge the relationship along.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
Ponies is overly reliant on coincidences and characters making unlikely mistakes to keep the plot moving, and all that contrivance leads to some Swiss-cheese-like plotting in the season’s back half.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Jan. 2026
In another area of the factory, machines installed four years earlier already lack certain even-more-modern contrivances.
—Sacbee.com, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
The script, also by Ahn, leans slightly too much on contrivances to nudge the relationship along.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
Ponies is overly reliant on coincidences and characters making unlikely mistakes to keep the plot moving, and all that contrivance leads to some Swiss-cheese-like plotting in the season’s back half.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Jan. 2026
In another area of the factory, machines installed four years earlier already lack certain even-more-modern contrivances.
—Sacbee.com, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrivance
Noun
-
Minnesota doesn’t tend to design many gadget-style packages, but Bell offers a fascinating blend of size and speed that could cause complications for defenses.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
Such gadgets ended up affecting restful sleep.—
Shirl Leigh
May 03,
New Atlas,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
The company was founded in 1879 by Carl von Linde, a pioneer in the invention of artificial refrigeration systems.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
-
What sets the United States apart is not invention alone.—
Joaquin Duato,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
The Pisces Moon adds imagination to strategy and helps good ideas connect.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
This combination from chef Gino Angelini is unlikely to have occurred in even your wildest imagination.—
Carolynn Carreño,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
The proposal also requires Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the month-long period – arguably one of Iran’s strongest tools of leverage against the United States in the ongoing war.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Gray stone, wooden beams, iron tools.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Most fundamentally, innovation raises productivity, which in turn makes higher living standards possible.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education, and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
There's also a palpable new seam of imaginativeness among residents.—
Toby Skinner,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
In the scene, the pair ride a tall robotic contraption down the peaks of a snowy mountain before encountering All Terrain Armored Transports, or AT-AT walkers, which begin shooting at them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
-
Tyler Fever, who runs the YouTube channel Prop Department, took the already tiny Festiva and chopped it to pieces, ultimately creating a roughly shopping-cart-sized contraption that resembles something out of The Flintstones.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Pisces Moon adds creativity and intuition, helping bigger ideas feel both inspiring and workable.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
The Moon in Aquarius moves through your 5th House and trines Venus in Gemini, making creativity and playful experimentation especially productive.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivance. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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