as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
caught by surprise, I had to make an extemporaneous speech at the awards banquet
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Recent Examples of extemporaneous
In 1962, Tillie Olsen gave a largely extemporaneous talk at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute.
—
Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
As protesters dispersed, some started an extemporaneous cumbia dance party in a nearby park.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 8 July 2025
The winners of Monday’s, Tuesday’s, and Wednesday’s shows went on to compete Thursday for bestest extemporaneous cultural critic.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
And Jonathan said, as [he’s being choked], was this extemporaneous?
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for extemporaneous
Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
As protesters dispersed, some started an extemporaneous cumbia dance party in a nearby park.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 8 July 2025
The winners of Monday’s, Tuesday’s, and Wednesday’s shows went on to compete Thursday for bestest extemporaneous cultural critic.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
And Jonathan said, as [he’s being choked], was this extemporaneous?
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for extemporaneous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extemporaneous
Adjective
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The second half of my 20s unveiled a new loneliness born from ending a 10-year relationship, an impromptu interstate move that took me from Brooklyn across the water to become the first in my bloodline to settle in New Jersey, and the existential weight of it all.—
Inés Anguiano,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
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Frank Sinatra has burst into impromptu song in the bar, Michael Jackson offered to buy the hotel and Robbie Williams (who has a place nearby) is a regular in the restaurant.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
During various interviews last week, Minter talked about wanting to make things easier on Jackson, playing on schedule more and relying less on the quarterback’s improvisational skills to bail out the Ravens.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Thompson has explored visual art since moving to New Zealand, as well as starting an improvisational guitar-drums duo called Tondo.—
Simon Vozick-Levinson,
Rolling Stone,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Five minutes after half-time, Dominic Calvert-Lewin had the space to guide an improvised finish home with his chest, after Gruev was allowed far too much room to cross from the edge of the box.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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The film’s director and lead actor, Christopher Guest, had shown her scenes of their co-stars already seeming comfortable in their heavily improvised roles.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extemporaneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extemporaneous. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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