1
as in to devise
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to plot
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
the mischievous boys were always contriving and trying to pull the prank that would be the talk of the school
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to negotiate
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care
contrived a way of planning the surprise party without their catching on to it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of contrive
Everything about this — and the fact that Gene wants Henry to use the relationship to get himself a gun — feels fatally contrived, to the point that Mamet couldn’t even be bothered to fill it in.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 May 2025
This experiment could have gone wrong in any number of ways—by seeming contrived, by seeming disjointed, by imposing on its readers the irksome requirement of tracking which voice is saying what across two continents and the better part of a century.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Nevertheless, the first should still find an audience in the post-New Year lull, a period which thanks to the success of Netflix’s Harlan Coben adaptations, is fast becoming synonymous with soapy melodrama and contrived twists.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025
But there’s hope too, and however contrived the last scene may feel, there’s poetry in watching someone betting his future on yet another horse.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 May 2025
This experiment could have gone wrong in any number of ways—by seeming contrived, by seeming disjointed, by imposing on its readers the irksome requirement of tracking which voice is saying what across two continents and the better part of a century.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Nevertheless, the first should still find an audience in the post-New Year lull, a period which thanks to the success of Netflix’s Harlan Coben adaptations, is fast becoming synonymous with soapy melodrama and contrived twists.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025
But there’s hope too, and however contrived the last scene may feel, there’s poetry in watching someone betting his future on yet another horse.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrive
Verb
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Solving problems like the most efficient way to use an aircraft cargo hold, or helping devise the next generation of long-term storage batteries, is only part of the IonQ mission.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
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President Trump's tariffs are upending retailer supply chains, forcing them to devise workarounds.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
9 May 2025
Verb
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Until his death in Pennsylvania last year, Gülen, a Turkish Muslim preacher who was accused of plotting a coup against President Recep Tayyip in 2016, was wanted as a terrorist leader in Turkey and Pakistan.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
14 May 2025
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The Keeling Curve, a graph that plots concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere over time, uses measurements taken at Mau Loa Observatory, starting in 1958.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Trump signed an executive order on Monday encouraging linking the cost of prescription drugs to what's paid in other nations where drug prices are negotiated by their government and tend to be much lower.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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In Tampa, the stadium’s naming rights partner, Raymond James, negotiated by the Bucs for the Bucs, is the longest-standing in the NFL.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
Verb
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The book centers on Amber Patterson concocting a plan to get closer to the wealthy Daphne Parrish, whose lavish life Amber envies.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2025
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The creator of the modern-day Tequila Sunrise, concocted and popularized in a Sausalito bar in the 1970s, has died.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2025
Verb
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See more Trump’s AI image of himself as the pope was condemned by leading Catholics, but the idea of a gaggle of secretive, red-robed men deliberating and scheming in an escape room is catnip for our imaginations.—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
7 May 2025
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The levels of staff, the levels of seriousness, offensive coordinators are really scheming.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 May 2025
Verb
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Fearing that terrorists or criminals might use such technology to plan attacks, arrange financing or recruit members, the Clinton administration advocated a system called the Clipper Chip, based on a concept of key escrow.—
Richard Forno,
The Conversation,
16 May 2025
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The tools are neatly arranged in the round storage case that packs up for a small storage footprint.—
Cheryl Fenton,
Parents,
16 May 2025
Verb
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And what if an amazing Jewish émigré scientist—Richard Dreyfuss, say—had already invented the technology?—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
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The exhibit itself — on display until Feb. 2026 — chronicles more than 200 years of social dance in the city, highlighting dances that were either invented, reinvented or made famous in the five boroughs.—
Karu F. Daniels,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2025
Verb
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He was charged in two cases, with steroid distribution in one and conspiring with two officers to violate civil rights in another.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
7 May 2025
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All of which is conspiring to remake the Vegas day club experience.—
Rob Reed,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrive. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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