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
-
Best Travel Tech Deals Buying new travel tech doesn’t have to be expensive—Amazon has amazing deals on gadgets that are guaranteed to make your next trip easier.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
-
And Thomas could be a kickoff returner who plays sparingly as a gadget on offense.—
Kevin Fishbain,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 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
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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
-
The contraption was notably simple, engineering experts told Fox News Digital, and didn't reflect particularly advanced mechanical engineering for a graduating senior at Caltech.—
Asra Q. Nomani , Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
When repeatedly tested on the magician's stovepipe chapeau, the contraption — which was intended to make the hat disappear — seemingly failed.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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 4 May. 2026.
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