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
With the latest advance for wantaway Brentford forward Yoane Wissa batted away again Wednesday, Howe will have to improvise again against Liverpool.
—
Jack Bantock, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
At one point, Paul improvises a blowtorch and singes Carey’s face, leaving his peepers hairless.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
On the opening drive, Dart improvised and hit wide receiver Gunner Olszewski for a 50-yard catch and run down to the Patriots’ 11-yard line.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2025
Hughes encouraged his Breakfast Club actors to improvise and contribute their own insights, resulting in the film being celebrated for centering on character, conversation and vulnerability, versus spectacle.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for improvise
Jack Bantock, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
At one point, Paul improvises a blowtorch and singes Carey’s face, leaving his peepers hairless.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
On the opening drive, Dart improvised and hit wide receiver Gunner Olszewski for a 50-yard catch and run down to the Patriots’ 11-yard line.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2025
Hughes encouraged his Breakfast Club actors to improvise and contribute their own insights, resulting in the film being celebrated for centering on character, conversation and vulnerability, versus spectacle.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for improvise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvise
Verb
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There are many efforts underway by AI scholars, research labs, and AI makers to devise AI so that the AI can do a better job at coping with human delusional thinking.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Ken Goldberg, a University of California, Berkeley professor, devised a novel solution to bridge this gap.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Not only is the kitchen fully on display but a separate alcove is given over to his highly technical lab, a play space dedicated to fermentation, aging, preserving and otherwise concocting.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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On paper, Dallas has the tools to do just that, but NBA insider Zach Buckley, of Bleacher Report, has concocted a trade proposal that sees the Mavericks strengthen their forward position.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
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 9 Sep. 2025.
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