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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Recent Examples of contrive
The mystery is less about who’s involved in the game afoot, as alert audiences piecing together context clues will be immediately aware of those nefarious parties upon their introductions, and is more about the puzzling lengths the filmmakers go to in planting contrived red herrings.
—
Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
Many legends who were part of the WNBA’s early years—the league debuted in 1997—have shared stories about how the fledgling brand stuffed star players into narrow feminine molds that sometimes felt contrived.
—Timeka Tounsel, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
None more so than how Conor Coady and Arthur Okonkwo contrived to gift Burrell the third goal from what was effectively an aimless long punt forward.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
California policymakers continue to make laws and allow regulators to contrive rules that make California a land of perdition rather than destination for enterprise because they have been captured by left-of-center interests.
—Kerry Jackson, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
Many legends who were part of the WNBA’s early years—the league debuted in 1997—have shared stories about how the fledgling brand stuffed star players into narrow feminine molds that sometimes felt contrived.
—Timeka Tounsel, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
None more so than how Conor Coady and Arthur Okonkwo contrived to gift Burrell the third goal from what was effectively an aimless long punt forward.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
California policymakers continue to make laws and allow regulators to contrive rules that make California a land of perdition rather than destination for enterprise because they have been captured by left-of-center interests.
—Kerry Jackson, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrive
Verb
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Last summer, researchers devised a method to translate internal representations of sentences from one language model to another.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
7 Jan. 2026
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Of all the schemes that humans have devised to keep sea lions from gorging on the salmon of the Columbia River basin, none has worked for long.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bea incredulously finds out that Christy has been involved in a treasure hunt for years now, believing that there is a million dollars hidden somewhere in the state, planning and plotting her methods of finding it, and Christy is finally setting her plan in motion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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But moderate House Republicans are plotting potential compromise measures with moderates in the Senate.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Still, the legislative session frequently goes past the target end date as lawmakers negotiate over the final details of bills and the state budget.—
Stephen Gruber-Miller,
Des Moines Register,
9 Jan. 2026
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Players with more than three years of service time can use arbitration to negotiate their salaries for an upcoming season, and Skubal has more than five years in.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The administration concocts a legal rationale for a foreign policy objective.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
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Notably, the computers seem to have a knack for concocting bizarre physics experiments — designs that humans wouldn’t think of, which nevertheless work.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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As part of a Home Instead ad campaign, the actor reprised his role as the movie's scheming protagonist, now all grown up.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Nov. 2025
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No Warriors were involved, but Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups — as well as Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier — was arrested and charged with scheming to rig underground poker games.—
Evan Webeck,
Mercury News,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite his level-headedness, Mike is mightily discontent with the low-wattage gigs that are arranged for him by, of all people, his dentist (Fisher Stevens), who soon replaces that absent tooth.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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As a newcomer to composing and arranging for strings, Simon benefitted greatly by working with a group readily available for consultation and collaboration.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What a slap in the face to the folks who’ve studied, who’ve researched, who’ve invented, who’ve saved lives, who’ve fought for their lives, who’ve lost their lives, who’ve devoted their lives to keeping that last group as small as possible.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
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Those are not our gestures; those were invented by these wonderful actors.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Also, didn’t Trump just pardon Juan Orlando Hernández, the former Honduran President, who had been sentenced to forty-five years in federal prison for conspiring to import four hundred tons of cocaine into the United States?—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2026
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But focusing on integrated schools—especially in the many communities where the demographics conspire against it—can detract from ensuring that the least well-off students receive a quality education.—
Ray Domanico,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrive. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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