1
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a new contrivance for cleaning computer keyboards
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of contrivance
Undeniably a retread of the previous year’s flick, Boo 2! benefits from leaning harder into horror contrivances, working as a straightforward horror-comedy for much of its running time.
—
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
In that sense, the whole contrivance is mainly window dressing and not a feet-to-the-fire consideration.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
This near-calamity really smells of authorial contrivance to get the two principals to meet in person, while further comic hijinks jerry-rigged to drive the couple further together are no less fragrant.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025
This should play as a melodramatic contrivance — along with the possibility that the shooter could be an angry incel teen named David whom Robby saw at the start of his shift.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
In that sense, the whole contrivance is mainly window dressing and not a feet-to-the-fire consideration.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
This near-calamity really smells of authorial contrivance to get the two principals to meet in person, while further comic hijinks jerry-rigged to drive the couple further together are no less fragrant.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025
This should play as a melodramatic contrivance — along with the possibility that the shooter could be an angry incel teen named David whom Robby saw at the start of his shift.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrivance
Noun
-
Reports of early concepts include a screenless, wearable device that uses voice input and subtle haptics, envisioned more as an ambient companion than a traditional gadget.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Check that all your kitchen appliances and gadgets work properly and are used regularly.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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About a decade ago, many economists took a more pessimistic view, arguing that inventions such as smartphones or even the internet had less of an economic impact than previous developments such as the airplane or the car.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
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In the meantime, the invention of superconducting artificial atoms has opened brand-new avenues toward building useful quantum machines with advanced engineering techniques.—
Zhixin Wang,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The cruellest occupation is not of land but of the imagination.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The visual shifts mirror thematic contrasts between past and present, imagination and reality.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The innovation could pave the way for medical tools that move through the body’s arteries or inspection devices that crawl into complex machinery.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Toys, even ones marketed as tools for the imagination, are never value neutral.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For investors, policymakers, and business leaders, the time has come to seize the momentum, champion innovation, and finance the blue transition.—
Olivier Wenden,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
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In September, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy cited the pursuit of innovation, collaboration and connection in ending the company’s three-days-in the-office hybrid model and ordering employees — including those at the company’s Bay Area offices — back in five days a week.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As Eve and Julian via Ares fight over a code for permanence that could turn Ares from code to human, stunt sequences involving contraptions from the familiar light cycle to a boat and submarine hybrid, and many moments are backed by needle drops from Nine Inch Nails, who scored the film, or others.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
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Smile over the ridiculous contraptions created for Diamond Peak Ski Resort’s annual Dummy Downhill event, or Mountainfest/Preston and Steve’s Cardboard Classic, both featured in the film.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
So, this is a story about imparting true wealth, including the intrinsic values and skills—motivation, hard work, creativity, risk-taking—that built the fortunes in the first place and that allow those who inherit to bloom.—
Christina Binkley,
Robb Report,
11 Oct. 2025
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His strong point is his creativity, with the vision to thread passes and an eye for goal.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contrivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivance. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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