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
No one else will experience that extemporaneous moment like the woman in that particular seat.
—
Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for extemporaneous
Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for extemporaneous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extemporaneous
Adjective
-
Belfer, a single father to 5-year-old Henri and a goldendoodle named Grover, also messages the group to arrange impromptu playdates for his son.—
Sara Lieberman,
Curbed,
4 Mar. 2026
-
With her Electrical Box Theatre, situated across from the historic American Hotel and sausage restaurant and bar Wurstküche, Mero set out to create an impromptu performance space for the sort of experimental artists who no longer have an outlet in downtown’s galleries or more refined stages.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Trump, as personalist and improvisational as Mohammed bin Salman, has no interest in resolving that identity crisis.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Smith’s extensive rehab involving a string of self-defense, zen and other disability workshops, however, morphed into classes studying improvisational wheelchair movement.—
Mercury News,
Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That reaction — genuine, visceral enjoyment from someone who evaluates food professionally — is about as strong an endorsement as an improvised pita sandwich can get.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
-
And four years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a look at the many obstacles to peace and how Ukraine has pioneered a scrappy, improvised way of fighting, built around inexpensive drones.—
February 26,
NPR,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extemporaneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extemporaneous. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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