as in concocted
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
she quickly devised a new scheme when the first one failed
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Recent Examples of devised
In the 19th century, the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace devised his own theory of evolution, independent of Charles Darwin, while visiting the region to research his book, The Malay Archipelago.
—
Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
And to that end, the Islamic Republic may have devised a failsafe for itself against popular anger.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Last summer, researchers devised a method to translate internal representations of sentences from one language model to another.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 7 Jan. 2026
Of all the schemes that humans have devised to keep sea lions from gorging on the salmon of the Columbia River basin, none has worked for long.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
As with Sátántangó, Tarr devised exquisite tracking shots that seemed to float through János’ unhappy universe, delivering one knockout image after another.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2026
Each performance is different, devised by a rotating cast of participants; for instance, one Armageddon lineup featured a heel in the form of an ICE agent.
—Elyssa Goodman, Them., 23 Dec. 2025
Martinez devised a scheme to funnel her inheritance into his own account from April 2024 to December 2024, including creating a joint account in both their names without permission, Rundle said.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
In the absence of a fixed soundtrack, hundreds of alternatives have been devised, variously, by classical composers, film composers, rock bands, doom-metal groups, jazz ensembles, and noise collectives.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
And to that end, the Islamic Republic may have devised a failsafe for itself against popular anger.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Last summer, researchers devised a method to translate internal representations of sentences from one language model to another.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 7 Jan. 2026
Of all the schemes that humans have devised to keep sea lions from gorging on the salmon of the Columbia River basin, none has worked for long.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
As with Sátántangó, Tarr devised exquisite tracking shots that seemed to float through János’ unhappy universe, delivering one knockout image after another.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2026
Each performance is different, devised by a rotating cast of participants; for instance, one Armageddon lineup featured a heel in the form of an ICE agent.
—Elyssa Goodman, Them., 23 Dec. 2025
Martinez devised a scheme to funnel her inheritance into his own account from April 2024 to December 2024, including creating a joint account in both their names without permission, Rundle said.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
In the absence of a fixed soundtrack, hundreds of alternatives have been devised, variously, by classical composers, film composers, rock bands, doom-metal groups, jazz ensembles, and noise collectives.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devised
Verb
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In exchange for not being charged with a DUI, the family’s lawyer concocted a deal in which Skakel was sent to the controversial Élan School in Maine in an effort to correct his unruly behavior.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
7 Dec. 2025
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Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report concocted this trade idea that sees the Lakers land and shore up both their frontcourt and backcourt, the Dallas Mavericks duo of former All-Star Klay Thompson and Daniel Gafford.—
Ricardo Sandoval,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The wave machine someone invented to simulate the oceans of Pandora risks crushing the actors to death under eight pounds of steel?—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
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Putnam raised the example of how, during the previous upswing, organizations like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts were invented just a few years apart, because people recognized that young people needed mentors.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The wide-leg pants in this matching set are high-waisted with an elastic drawstring waistband for comfort, and are constructed with two side pockets for storage.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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Gothic architecture, on the other hand, focused on height and light; despite being constructed from heavy stone, Gothic cathedrals seem to defy the laws of gravity.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Architectural Digest,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And problems continue despite the flight cancellations designed to relieve stress on controllers struggling to deal with the shutdown.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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It is designed for easygoing travelers and families—and anyone who likes open air, hot cheese, and mountain views.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devised. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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