1
as in devising
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
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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
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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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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contriving
Verb
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Meanwhile, researchers were devising methods to make McIntoshes more reliable to grow and using the McIntosh to develop hybrid apples like the Cortland and Milton.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
12 Sep. 2025 -
One of the biggest difficulties in devising laws on the topic of AI for mental health involves defining what constitutes AI for mental health.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Legal woes Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro was just convicted of plotting to overturn an election and sentenced to more than 27 years in prison.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
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In 2022, in Los Angeles, political leaders were exposed for plotting to carve up districts in backroom deals.—
Bernadette Suarez,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Traditional approaches focus on financial engineering such as negotiating discounts for long-term commitments, or on observability tools that track who is running what.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Teamsters announced on Facebook late Friday that their negotiating team has a tentative agreement for members to vote on, ending the strike and allowing next weekend’s Farm Aid concert to continue as planned at the U’s Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
13 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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That isn't stopping Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report from concocting a massive trade proposal that would send the nine-time All-Star to the New York Knicks.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Strategic leaders are the generals, arranging forces before engagements.—
George Bradt,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Lizzo plops down in a straw chair with familiarity, arranging the many pillows around her and assuming a palms-up position.—
Allison P. Davis,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Indeed, the only character from The Office that actually carried over into the new series is Oscar, who serves as the lead accountant for Softees but gets dragooned into reporting and constructing Sudokus for the paper.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Humanity, united by one language, settles on a plain in Shinar and begins constructing a tower to reach the heavens and make a name for themselves.—
John Fugelsang
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Former Formula One driver David Coulthard has accused the McLaren Racing F1 team of manipulating the Italian Grand Prix race results by issuing team orders during the race.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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The hacker’s malware focuses on stealing cryptocurrency by hijacking and manipulating the user's browser.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Although few people know her name, Yeager had a huge influence on 20th century pop culture — popularizing the bikini, helping discover Bettie Page, shaping the image of Playboy and inventing the selfie.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
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In many ways, today’s LLMs are far too flexible—inventing information or taking unexpected shortcuts.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Contriving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contriving. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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