1
as in devising
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plotting
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 negotiating
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 contriving
Even his courtship with Bess Wallace was accented by Truman contriving a tennis court for her — the dynamics of which are captured through photos of and letters about his efforts.
—
Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
The profligacy, for sure, with Everton contriving to surrender a 1-0 lead in the space of eight remarkable second-half minutes in which defender Jake O’Brien was also sent off.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Director Ellenstein had the aha moment earlier this decade of contriving a work about Eisenhower and the accomplished playwright and Orange County native, Richard Hellesen, took on the task of writing it.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
By eschewing salaries, lobbying Congress to gut the estate tax, and contriving elaborate writeoffs and work-arounds, the very rich have placed much of their wealth beyond the reach of the state.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
The profligacy, for sure, with Everton contriving to surrender a 1-0 lead in the space of eight remarkable second-half minutes in which defender Jake O’Brien was also sent off.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Director Ellenstein had the aha moment earlier this decade of contriving a work about Eisenhower and the accomplished playwright and Orange County native, Richard Hellesen, took on the task of writing it.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
By eschewing salaries, lobbying Congress to gut the estate tax, and contriving elaborate writeoffs and work-arounds, the very rich have placed much of their wealth beyond the reach of the state.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contriving
Verb
-
However, Solskjaer had spent that off-season devising how United would play with Sancho in an attacking unit alongside Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial and Dan James, with the likes of Bruno Fernandes just behind.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
States are getting creative in devising how the money will be collected either through taxation or voluntary donations by state residents.—
Noël Fletcher,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Kainerugaba has threatened to hang Besigye, accusing him of plotting to kill Museveni.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
Hidden amongst them are the Werewolves, a secret set plotting to eliminate players one by one and steal the prize.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Much of the present state, Taylor notes, is a result of historic misalignment of incentives, between a retailer’s trade teams—some of whom are focused on negotiating margins from suppliers in exchange for promotions and the retail media teams whose charge is to generate new revenue.—
David Doty,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Esmail Qaani, the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, offered his gratitude and personal endorsement to Ghalibaf and the rest of the negotiating team.—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Time,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
And she’s spent a decade scaling her brand into an industry disrupter; Ellsworth began concocting prebiotic drinks in 2015, founding her business just one year later.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
-
According to the report, workers illegally pocketed between $20,000 and more than $41,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans from a massive federal COVID-19 pandemic relief effort – some by concocting companies that didn't exist to pocket federal assistance funds.—
Chris Tye,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Angelina Guatemala, 64, counted on federal food stamps after retiring a couple of years ago in Ogden, Kansas, from assorted jobs arranging flowers, decorating cakes in shops, and preparing meals.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
Let the flowers rest in the bucket of water for an hour to rehydrate fully before arranging them.—
Viveka Neveln,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
If that occurs, The Economist’s two-track internet may be remembered as one of the earliest signs that humanity had begun constructing a parallel universe of knowledge for a new form of intelligence.—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
20 June 2026
-
Purchasing and renovating the existing buildings could save as much as $111 million compared with constructing new facilities, according to county documents.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Fears of government officials manipulating world events – including the Iran war – to make a quick buck.—
Matt Motta,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
-
What online scammers are looking to steal The FBI issued a warning last month that cybercriminals are manipulating or reproducing the official FIFA World Cup website to scam fans who are looking for tickets, hospitality packages, merchandise, streaming access and betting opportunities.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Indeed, it’s been 60 years since England won the 1966 World Cup on their home soil, a humbling reality for the country credited with inventing soccer and that boasts the sport’s most prestigious professional league.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2026
-
There is this common understanding of the disruptive way of inventing a genre.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contriving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contriving. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
