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
-
Access to the polls has never been adequate across the board, but the relative ease that many people have in participating in politics is a recent invention, based on the VRA.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
In fact, feathers are one of evolution’s cleverest inventions.—
Kate Wong,
Scientific American,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Though Baudelaire was influenced by Poe’s macabre imagination, decadence never developed its own school in nineteenth-century America, then still a young country.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Container gardens are easy to create and endlessly rewarding, so let your imagination go wild!—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
After Anthropic’s success in attracting business users, OpenAI is beefing up its Codex coding agent and other work tools.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
State leaders should look beyond land use and taxation as tools for lowering prices.—
Maxwell Harden,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Chicago stands as one of the most architecturally significant cities in the world — the birthplace of the modern skyscraper — and continues to be a hub of innovation in design and engineering for generations.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
Housed in the sleek, minimalist 40 mm case of its award-winning Streamliner, the piece pairs genuine mechanical ingenuity with a retro refit of one of sneaker culture’s most recognizable innovations.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
2 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 Kings have prioritized defense for most of the past two decades, often playing a sticky, trapping style that doesn’t promote offensive creativity or attack.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
No experience needed—just bring your creativity.—
Kris Slugg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivance. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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