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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrive
First, it was hastily contrived and had weak monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
—
Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2025
The Florida court contrived a weird and arbitrary compromise, granting new sentencing hearings only to death row prisoners whose sentences were considered final after 2002, when the U.S. court issued a decision that was a precursor to Hurst’s.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 July 2025
Cool, contrived, controversial, captivating, contentious, curious, confounding — pick your adjective.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 July 2025
Zegler crushes the song, eking out of it every ounce of emotion, real and contrived.
—Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2025
The Florida court contrived a weird and arbitrary compromise, granting new sentencing hearings only to death row prisoners whose sentences were considered final after 2002, when the U.S. court issued a decision that was a precursor to Hurst’s.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 July 2025
Cool, contrived, controversial, captivating, contentious, curious, confounding — pick your adjective.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 July 2025
Zegler crushes the song, eking out of it every ounce of emotion, real and contrived.
—Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrive
Verb
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There are many efforts underway by AI scholars, research labs, and AI makers to devise AI so that the AI can do a better job at coping with human delusional thinking.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Ken Goldberg, a University of California, Berkeley professor, devised a novel solution to bridge this gap.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Casting the sweet-faced and unflappably mellow Dano — Eli Sunday his Vadim Baranov is not — as Putin’s kingmaker also assures that Assayas isn’t keen on high drama, with conversations in conference rooms plotting totalitarian takeover rarely rising above library-voice level.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
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Neighbors said they were shaken to learn that the killer had been plotting crimes there undetected, raising questions about whether anyone had noticed the cache of weapons building up inside the rental.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Many of the examples are stark, like the Potawatomi Nation which had negotiated with the federal government in hopes of staying in their homelands in the upper Midwest.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Neighbors Settling down in the suburbs with their newborn, Kelly (Rose Byrne) and Mac (Seth Rogen) attempt to negotiate a quiet-hours pact with the frat house next door.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Not only is the kitchen fully on display but a separate alcove is given over to his highly technical lab, a play space dedicated to fermentation, aging, preserving and otherwise concocting.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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On paper, Dallas has the tools to do just that, but NBA insider Zach Buckley, of Bleacher Report, has concocted a trade proposal that sees the Mavericks strengthen their forward position.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Jones’ limitations aren’t going away, but his can be schemed around, which was less the case with Richardson.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Watch Saturday Night on Netflix Set It Up Two assistants scheme to set up their respective demanding bosses to get them off their backs.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Latest section, on the other hand, arranges posts and reels in chronological order, with the most recent ones appearing first.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
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Around the country, arranging for housing is a relatively new and growing challenge for such PACE groups, which are funded through Medicaid and Medicare.—
Felice J. Freyer,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Yet, bizarrely, the TV show undercuts this angle by inventing a serial killer nurse from whole cloth, a move that shifts the blame away from systemic forces and toward a motiveless scoundrel.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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And long before movie night was a thing, Mesoamericans apparently invented popcorn, too.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In Greenberg’s novel, Cherry and Hero are already secret lovers who conspire to thwart the menfolk’s machinations.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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Having rolled out the red carpet in Alaska, Trump on Wednesday accused Putin of conspiring with China and North Korea after the three countries' leaders staged a show of unity in Beijing at a lavish commemoration of the end of World War Two.—
John Irish,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrive. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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