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
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
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contriving
Verb
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Companies are actively devising strategies to counteract muscle loss in people taking the drugs.—
Isabella Cueto,
STAT,
29 Dec. 2025
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Sondheim got to work at eight o’clock one night, devising a version of the murder game in which all the players would have to use their wits to untangle the mystery.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
15 Dec. 2025
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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Schumer on Saturday persisted in arguing that Republicans should accept a one-year extension of the subsidies before negotiating the future of the tax credits.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer argues Republicans should accept a one-year extension of the subsidies before negotiating the future of the tax credits.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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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Unlike conventional breaches that hinge on phishing or user error, this exploit, now known as EchoLeak, bypassed human behavior entirely, silently extracting confidential information by manipulating how Copilot interacts with user data.—
Hugo Huang,
Harvard Business Review,
9 Jan. 2026
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Disney is depicted as manipulating this framework to its benefit and to the detriment of Dish and its customers.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This geometric architecture may even explain how complex organisms evolved so rapidly — not by inventing new genes, but by rearranging the ways existing ones are used.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Oct. 2025
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But truths go ignored, the film argues, when everyone prefers inventing realities for themselves.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contriving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contriving. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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