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 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
Dara’s performance remains its only bright element but even that gets lost in the many surrounding contrivances.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
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
Dara’s performance remains its only bright element but even that gets lost in the many surrounding contrivances.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrivance
Noun
-
For anyone building a compact, efficient toolkit, the hori hori knife eliminates the need for several single-purpose gadgets.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Oxo Tot Grape Cutter This simple kitchen gadget has an opening to add grapes at the bottom.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But he is also credited with the invention of a screw water pump — still used in power plants today — and a means of approximating pi, among many other things.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Financing the commercialization of innovations With all its scientific strengths, Europe’s central challenge is not invention but company-building at scale.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While the original footage of Gugusse and his mechanical friend might never be found, its place in our imagination is secure.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
January 20 – February 18 When kindness meets imagination, conversations blossom.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Scientists use Talos to study how humanoid machines walk, maintain balance, and use tools in complex environments.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The combination of a weak economy and high inflation is a worst-case scenario for investors because the Federal Reserve has no good tool to fix both problems at the same time.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The crypto industry has long touted blockchain’s capacity for 24/7 trading, as well as a trading innovation known as perpetual futures.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Hughes has more than 25 years of experience, including leadership roles, with the YMCA and has focused on supporting health and youth innovations, a museum news release said.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There's also a palpable new seam of imaginativeness among residents.—
Toby Skinner,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
The contraption was loaded with a piece of paper with questions, and students pressed keys indicating the correct answer, at which point, another question would appear.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Among the iconic polymath’s many (many) achievements, the 15th century thinker is famous for devising an angled contraption to help his experiments exploring friction physics.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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From its humble origins using just a few simple ingredients, pizza has become the ultimate blank canvas inviting endless culinary creativity.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
14 Mar. 2026
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These practices support employees not only in managing stress but in accessing clarity, creativity and emotional regulation more reliably.—
Elan Gepner-Dales,
Rolling Stone,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivance. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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