IMPROVISE Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

improvise

verb

ˈim-prə-ˌvīz

Definition of improvise

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of improvise Don’t improvise by spraying an animal with your own repellent. — Angela Haupt, Time, 3 Aug. 2026 The first one was improvised, and that one was more produced. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026 Types of dance typically include belly dance, ceremonial dance, disco, soul, free or improvised, Latin, novelty or fad, social dance, street dance, swing dance, and folk dance. — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 30 July 2026 The performers had only to abide by a brief set of instructions laid out by Forti but otherwise were free to improvise. — News Desk, Artforum, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for improvise

Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvise

Verb

Advertisement As Claude began completing such tasks too reliably to reveal much, Freeman devised a test closer to the messiness of the real world.

— Harry Booth, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
In Ukraine, Washington may have waited too long to devise a strategy for ending the war.

— Dafna H. Rand, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of devise

Verb

Like, for instance, Loughlin, who paid Singer $500,000 to concoct fake row team credentials — and even stage phony rowing photos — to get her two daughters into USC.

— Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
The cocktail menu leans into the couple’s heritage with some Argentine staples, including the El Clásico of Fernet and Coke and El Diego, concocted with sweet vermouth, Coke and a splash of whiskey.

— Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of concoct

Verb

The future, instead, seems to belong to the teams and coaches who are willing to be a little more flexible and see their role as providing a platform on which their players might extemporize.

— Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2023
Friends said he was talented and could extemporize about anything.

— Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2023

Definition of extemporize

Browse Nearby Words

improvisations

improvise

improvised

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Improvise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvise. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of improvise

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on improvise

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

pedagogical

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes