as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
an improvisational comedy sketch that showcased his lightning-fast wit
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Recent Examples of improvisational
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
The president’s crackdown has adopted an improvisational approach, not an institutional one, with blurred leadership roles and no clear chain of command.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Jangly guitars and vaporwave sample collages shiver and burst, while Ritchie raps with an improvisational sensibility.
—Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
Far too modest and deeply felt to come off as self-congratulatory, Ataei and Keshavarz’s film tells the story of two women — an avant-garde theater director and an improvisational dancer — whose friendship is as unbothered by the government as their work is defined by it.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
The bigger concern is the improvisational contributions from Nix — big scrambles, off-platform throws, odd-angle deliveries — have been a significant part of an offense that has struggled at times to hang its hat on anything else consistently.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
While business can often be improvisational, military actions are carefully planned, purpose-driven, and proactive.
—Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Audiences can expect an energetic evening as Asriel Davis and Isaiah Shim showcase their technical skill and improvisational style at the keys.
—Susan Soldavin, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2026
Powered by Robin Williams’ wildly improvisational humor and Pam Dawber’s warm charm, the series quickly became a pop-culture phenomenon.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
The president’s crackdown has adopted an improvisational approach, not an institutional one, with blurred leadership roles and no clear chain of command.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Jangly guitars and vaporwave sample collages shiver and burst, while Ritchie raps with an improvisational sensibility.
—Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
Far too modest and deeply felt to come off as self-congratulatory, Ataei and Keshavarz’s film tells the story of two women — an avant-garde theater director and an improvisational dancer — whose friendship is as unbothered by the government as their work is defined by it.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
The bigger concern is the improvisational contributions from Nix — big scrambles, off-platform throws, odd-angle deliveries — have been a significant part of an offense that has struggled at times to hang its hat on anything else consistently.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
While business can often be improvisational, military actions are carefully planned, purpose-driven, and proactive.
—Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Audiences can expect an energetic evening as Asriel Davis and Isaiah Shim showcase their technical skill and improvisational style at the keys.
—Susan Soldavin, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2026
Powered by Robin Williams’ wildly improvisational humor and Pam Dawber’s warm charm, the series quickly became a pop-culture phenomenon.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvisational
Adjective
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Without doubt, Her Royal Highness's impromptu visit definitely left everybody overjoyed.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
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But out of everything, the archive’s most astonishing component is a series of home movies that allegedly capture impromptu moments of psychokinetic activity within an upside-down fish tank.—
Shannon Taggart,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 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
“Improvisational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvisational. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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