as in to devise
to perform, make, or do without preparation
since the award was a complete surprise, I improvised an acceptance speech
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Recent Examples of improvise
Xi is not a transactional politician who improvises policy on a whim, who posts his intentions on social media, or changes his mind in the meeting.
—
Michael Sheridan, Vanity Fair, 8 Apr. 2026
Chris Pratt improvised a nasty joke about Kim Kardashian during production of Parks and Recreation season 4.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, New Yorkers have been improvising.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The comedy versus the drama is the main thing; the freedom on ‘Reservation Dogs’ to improvise and go bigger than usual was important.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for improvise
Michael Sheridan, Vanity Fair, 8 Apr. 2026
Chris Pratt improvised a nasty joke about Kim Kardashian during production of Parks and Recreation season 4.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, New Yorkers have been improvising.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The comedy versus the drama is the main thing; the freedom on ‘Reservation Dogs’ to improvise and go bigger than usual was important.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for improvise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvise
Verb
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Yes, a new model was devised that showed how a modern economy could sustain a large middle-class society that shared in its general prosperity and great progress.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Deep listening is a practice devised by composer Pauline Oliveros.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to the report, workers illegally pocketed between $20,000 and more than $41,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans from a massive federal COVID-19 pandemic relief effort – some by concocting companies that didn't exist to pocket federal assistance funds.—
Chris Tye,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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In an interview with The Times, Sid confessed that the whole thing was a lie concocted by a publicist in the 1940s.—
Anabel Sosa,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Friends said he was talented and could extemporize about anything.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Improvise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvise. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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