1
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a new contrivance for cleaning computer keyboards
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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
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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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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
-
That demand has produced a crowded field of gadgets so here are 11 worth knowing about.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2026
-
Your Wi-Fi router may be the least glamorous gadget in your home.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
The lag from invention to measurable productivity gains was approximately 40 years.—
Lance Knight,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Here were decades of human invention and competition, and staggering quantities of money, all distilled down to something smaller than the size of a newborn’s pinkie finger.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
In my imagination, writing and publishing the piece was a defense against the cardiac blues.—
Ben Lerner,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
-
Costco still owns the warehouse-club imagination in America.—
Gabriel Alin Zainescu,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
Under them, a chatbot must not be able to interact with someone under 18 unless it is programmed against encouraging self-destructive behavior and provides parents with tools to manage the child’s use.—
Marc Levy,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Miller-Green previously spent time in the Chicago White Sox organization and attracted national attention because of his remarkable background and rare physical tools.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
That changed as Americans wholeheartedly embraced the automobile and a new innovation—the drive-in gasoline station—proliferated at an astonishing rate across the country.—
Daniel Yergin,
Time,
20 June 2026
-
Gautam Mukunda writes about corporate management and innovation.—
Gautam Mukunda,
Mercury News,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
There's also a palpable new seam of imaginativeness among residents.—
Toby Skinner,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
With a turn of a crank, Edison astonished the dozen or so staffers who had gathered around the contraption.—
Ron Cowen,
Scientific American,
3 June 2026
-
These genius contraptions help remove moisture from the air and can make a big difference in cooling down the house.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Vendors participating in JuneteethKC’s 15th annual Heritage Festival lined 18th Street to celebrate freedom, culture and creativity.—
Sophia Buonpane,
Kansas City Star,
20 June 2026
-
Mika McCants, owner and CEO of Spoiled Boutique, is the creative force behind this Juneteenth celebration that celebrates culture, creativity and community.—
Laura A. Oda,
Mercury News,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivance. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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