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

Cancer — when practical support can become more necessary than ever — often leaves everyone improvising. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 24 Aug. 2026

So along Dandora’s drainage channels and on the edges of busy roads, children improvise. — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2026

Caught unprepared for chemical warfare and lacking standard-issue gas masks, Allied soldiers improvised by covering their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs or pieces of cloth drenched in water or urine. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026

The father improvised by moving the baby’s crib into the living room and using cardboard and tape to seal the gap in the window. — Destenie Nock, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026