Synonyms of improvise

improvise

verb

ˈim-prə-ˌvīz 

as in to devise

to perform, make, or do without preparation

since the award was a complete surprise, I improvised an acceptance speech

Synonyms & Similar Words

• devise
• concoct
• extemporize
• fake
• ad-lib
• manufacture
• clap (together or up)
• invent
• hatch
• contrive
• think (up)
• cook (up)
• fabricate
• make up
• dash (off)
• cobble (together or up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prepare
• ready
• arrange
• lay
• consider
• study
• practice
• exercise
• contemplate
• ponder
• rehearse

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of improvise

There’s a tone of alienation running through the group’s work, manifesting as a clash between aesthetics of rationalist sheen and heady mysticism that, depending on the light, read as both wholly improvised and meticulously programmed. — Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026

The musical is improvised based on your suggestions, creating hilarious lyrics, melodies and pure entertainment. — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 20 July 2026

Whereas the Americans sought detailed advance planning, the Israelis demanded immediate military action, even though each step had to be improvised. — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Could these poems have been improvised by singers drawing on a repertoire of formulae? — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026