CONTRIVE Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

contrive

verb

kən-ˈtrīv

Definition of contrive

as in to devise

to create or think of by clever use of the imagination contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of contrive Even if the stakes feel contrived, just enjoy watching two of the game’s greats go at it with a little something on the line, no matter how fleeting the feeling may be. — Tim Rohan, NBC news, 14 Apr. 2026 Her early death, after an illness that the father initially contrives to ignore then notices just in time to capture her desperation in a fine sketch, leaves Mimí utterly disoriented, yearning only to achieve a level of self-control and detachment that will spare him their tumultuous struggle. — Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026 New quarterback Anthony Colandrea brings a degree of swag that is not contrived. — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026 The entire deal felt cheesy and contrived. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contrive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrive

Verb

Its specialists work with customers to assess their retirement accounts and devise a diversified portfolio of precious metals that features an asset allocation designed to adhere to their risk tolerance and investment goals.

— Javier Simon, USA Today, 11 July 2026
Marmion and Currie now join every other coed school that has to devise how to share finite facilities.

— Dave Oberhelman, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026

Definition of devise

Verb

Emboldened by her sudden fame, Tyler signed to Sony in the early 1980s and, anxious to reinvent herself, petitioned the bombastic songwriter Jim Steinman to plot her a pivot to arena rock.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
But now, Yepez sits in jail — accused of plotting to kill one of her employees.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of plot

Verb

Although Chism is on administrative leave, the deals she’s participated in negotiating on behalf of Wyandotte County will remain ongoing in her absence, the Unified Government told The Star after her arrest.

— Sofi Zeman July 15, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026
Mendieta is best known for work that interweaves sadness with violence, drawing on her experiences of exile and her feminist politics to negotiate the transient fragility of life.

— Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026

Definition of negotiate

Verb

In The Beauty, Ryan Murphy and co-creator Matthew Hodgson have concocted a genre-hopping oddity that sounds unlikely to work.

— Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026
Brazil’s team, meanwhile, decamped to Orlando, Florida, where Laitano affixed players with sweat-collection patches and analyzed their fluid and electrolyte loss during workouts to concoct a hydration regimen for each person.

— Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026

Definition of concoct

Verb

The narrator, an American, is looking back on a sojourn in Tuscany when he was hired to work at the home of a scheming 92-year-old baronessa.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 8 July 2026
Instead of correcting the error, the scheming matriarch hides him in the attic and collects a life insurance payout.

— Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026

Definition of scheme

Verb

Residents arrange for projectors, audio speakers and power generators, Sikh temples and village community spaces become open-air theaters for an evening, and volunteers spread the word from one household to the next.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
The property’s expert concierge is always a WhatsApp message away and can arrange a menu of experiences at the villas or nearby resort for you—or leave your schedule empty for hours spent by the pool and traversing nearby cliffs and beaches.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026

Definition of arrange

Verb

Brown is charged with murder, carrying a firearm without a license, being an armed career criminal, and conspiring to commit murder.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 July 2026
But elite club soccer and the Major League Soccer academies have conspired to kill it by prohibiting their players from participating in high school or middle school programs.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

Definition of conspire

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“Contrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrive. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of contrive

verb

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