as in strained
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the contrived applause of a TV studio audience that has been told when to clap
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in concocted
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plotted
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 negotiated
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 contrived
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2025
Even someone who is well-known publicly for being deeply concerned about AI's hypothetical threat to humanity acknowledges that these behaviors emerged only in highly contrived test scenarios.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025
Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
His perpetual ease — spontaneous and never contrived — has always held a deep fascination for me and for my creativity.
—Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrived
Adjective
Put aside the contrived pedagogy and just teach the kids how to read.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2025
Even someone who is well-known publicly for being deeply concerned about AI's hypothetical threat to humanity acknowledges that these behaviors emerged only in highly contrived test scenarios.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
His perpetual ease — spontaneous and never contrived — has always held a deep fascination for me and for my creativity.
—Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrived
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrived
Adjective
-
Qatar is deepening its presence in Egypt after more than a decade of strained ties.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Reports about father and son’s strained relationship have been everywhere of late.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Prosecutors described Sanaa Cunningham’s death as the result of a murder plot concocted by her father and stepmother, Germayne and Lisa Cunningham, following months of abuse and neglect.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Swartz concocted this massive blockbuster trade idea, which sends Brown to his hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But while the first four episodes were well-plotted and sure-footed — building up to episode five’s ambitious Alien remix — the final three have been relatively attenuated.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
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But as Newsom and his allies plotted how to respond to the Lone Star State, two Bay Area counties had already planned to hold off-cycle elections in November.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The deal was negotiated by Emily Hayward Whitlock at The Artists Partnership.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
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After years of organizing, production workers on commercials have negotiated their first union contract.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Flight 11 will target those same two splashdown zones, and Ship will aim to deploy another eight mock Starlinks, SpaceX wrote in Monday's update.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
30 Sep. 2025
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Recently, Taylor invited her daughter’s class to Euronews Albania for a behind-the-scenes look at how television is made, where the children took part in mock interviews and explored the studio with wide-eyed excitement.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While enjoying drinks at Lucy’s across the street from Paramount Studios, William Wyler, Humphrey Bogart, John Huston and Lauren Bacall devised a hasty plan to show up in Washington to protest the hearings.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
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Performance on tests devised by seasoned professionals across banking, law, and consulting has nearly doubled in little more than a year, according to a preliminary study published in late September by data firm, Mercor.—
Harry Booth,
Time,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The codes of Versace are very strong and Vitale manipulated the familiar in a playful way.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
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But those sensors can be manipulated.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, his unnatural exit from the sport made headlines in his final season at the Bahrain Grand Prix through an incident that reminded everyone about the dangers of motorsport.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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Imitating the speech or body language of others during a conversation is another form of masking, along with forcing eye contact or facial expressions, which may feel unnatural.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contrived.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrived. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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