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

Props to the whole team for trying to get the sketch back on track, and for Day improvising a small admonishment within the scene. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2026

Marina Warner Possessed of Alchemystic Powers Ithell Colquhoun improvised with Surrealist and occult divinatory techniques in her paintings, and also in her writing—and in this lies her true originality. — Conor Heffernan, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

Various improvising artists have been offering up interpretations of Bob Dylan since the ‘60s, often with mixed results. — Bret Saunders, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026

Fans who didn’t have one of those improvised by using their phone lights to join in. — Natalia Cano, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2026