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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contriving
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
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
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The Panthers spent most of Saturday’s game (as well as their previous matchup with the Rams) devising ways to get McMillan and Coker running down the field against those small corners.—
Derrik Klassen,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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The 40-year-old cooks up ways to make quarterbacks miserable in his sleep, devising schemes that are meant to lure as much as they are intended to confuse.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pine works swiftly to gather information on Roper's deal and even forms an alliance with his boss's girlfriend Jed (Elizabeth Debicki) who is plotting her own escape.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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But Izzy Johnston is plotting a way for her Warriors to rise above all those squads.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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In the coming months, Trump all but stopped negotiating with Maduro.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So is facing a deluge of division title-winners who spent the offseason concocting new ways to beat them.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
9 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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Resist the Temptation to Dig In The hardest part of building a charcuterie board is avoiding the temptation to start snacking as soon as you’re done arranging the board.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
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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Monument Health plans to use the bond proceeds for acquiring, constructing, renovating, expanding and equipping various health care facilities in the Black Hills region, according to a public notice of the bonding package.—
Joshua Haiar,
States Newsroom,
9 Jan. 2026
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Chipotle Mexican Grill is constructing its athletic roster for 2026.—
Fielding Buck,
Oc Register,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The agents’ varied use of cameras on duty raises a potential legal quagmire on how to preserve or share footage of encounters – and even raises the possibility of agents manipulating footage, experts said.—
Isabelle Chapman,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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The Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) has accused Iran’s Islamic Republic government of manipulating the facts around the death of filmmaker Javad Ganji, who was killed while participating in popular protests sweeping the country since early January.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some unnamed Chicago bartender in the early 1880s had the improbable idea of taking a Whiskey Sour and adding a little red wine to the top, inventing in a bizarre flash of insightone of the great warm weather whiskey drinks of our time.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
10 Jan. 2026
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For Gen Z, that could mean inventing new career paths, blending skills across disciplines, or building opportunities rather than waiting for traditional ladders to reappear.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contriving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contriving. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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