as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
stumbled through an improvised reply to an unexpected question at the press conference
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in devised
to perform, make, or do without preparation
since the award was a complete surprise, I improvised an acceptance speech
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of improvised
Al Shipley, SPIN, 8 Apr. 2026
In Russia and Ukraine, soldiers have learned to protect their tanks from drone strikes using improvised nets and boxes, which cover the vehicles like a turtle shell.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Last year, British electronic producer Actress and modular synthesis pioneer Suzanne Ciani performed an improvised piece titled Concrète Waves at the Barbican in London and Barcelona’s Sónar Festival.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Just south of downtown San Jose, about 100 people live on the banks of Coyote Creek, where footpaths and improvised bridges connect a community of tents and wooden shacks — the city’s last sprawling homeless encampment.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
But military experts said Iran may have used its space launch vehicle for an improvised firing.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Historians often interpret the episode less as a conventional espionage mission than as an improvised diplomatic bid to explore informal avenues to negotiate as the war increasingly turned against the German regime.
—Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Mar. 2026
There was a clash with counter-protesters and two Muslim men from Pennsylvania allegedly threw improvised explosive devices.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
That was not an improvised response.
—Judah Taub, semafor.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 9 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
Strategy cannot be improvised in war.
—Kazem Kazerounian, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
Everything is improvised in his practice.
—Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
The Writers Guild removed Friedkin’s name, which up-set Friedkin, who retaliated by saying in interviews that the movie was largely improvised.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
None of the dialogues were improvised.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
Homes, shops, and temples express individual identities, sometimes clashing, often improvised, yet always alive.
—Big Think, 20 Mar. 2026
The group said the district process was not improvised and issues raised in the lawsuit will be resolved on the record.
—Nick Wooten, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
And the group’s most recent album, 2025’s Live in Amsterdam, showcases the kind of spontaneous improvised moments, including Peters’ bass solos, that set GoldFish apart from many dance acts with more strictly electronic sounds.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 8 Apr. 2026
In Russia and Ukraine, soldiers have learned to protect their tanks from drone strikes using improvised nets and boxes, which cover the vehicles like a turtle shell.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Last year, British electronic producer Actress and modular synthesis pioneer Suzanne Ciani performed an improvised piece titled Concrète Waves at the Barbican in London and Barcelona’s Sónar Festival.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Just south of downtown San Jose, about 100 people live on the banks of Coyote Creek, where footpaths and improvised bridges connect a community of tents and wooden shacks — the city’s last sprawling homeless encampment.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
But military experts said Iran may have used its space launch vehicle for an improvised firing.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Historians often interpret the episode less as a conventional espionage mission than as an improvised diplomatic bid to explore informal avenues to negotiate as the war increasingly turned against the German regime.
—Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Mar. 2026
There was a clash with counter-protesters and two Muslim men from Pennsylvania allegedly threw improvised explosive devices.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
That was not an improvised response.
—Judah Taub, semafor.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
Much of it seems improvised, and probably was.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 9 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
Strategy cannot be improvised in war.
—Kazem Kazerounian, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
Everything is improvised in his practice.
—Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
The Writers Guild removed Friedkin’s name, which up-set Friedkin, who retaliated by saying in interviews that the movie was largely improvised.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
None of the dialogues were improvised.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
Homes, shops, and temples express individual identities, sometimes clashing, often improvised, yet always alive.
—Big Think, 20 Mar. 2026
The group said the district process was not improvised and issues raised in the lawsuit will be resolved on the record.
—Nick Wooten, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvised
Adjective
-
Still, Gordy’s mansion in Detroit’s Boston-Edison district remained a home base, the spot for family gatherings and — in the lower-level ballroom — the site of impromptu artist performances witnessed by Terry and her cousins.—
Brian McCollum,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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The relaxed-fit camp shirt teams perfectly with wide-leg pants, and both are crafted from breezy linen that’s ideal for long days of sightseeing or impromptu café stops.—
Paris Wilson,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
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
Adjective
-
Their improvisational morning menu will draw from the cuisine of Oaxaca’s Sierra Norte and the Indigenous cooking of Martinez’s Zapotec culture.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In the BeatLabs area on Level 4, guests can make their own songs at a digital mixing board, and in the Level 2 Garage, small groups can play guitars, keyboards, and drums, following the onscreen prompts or staging their own improvisational jam sessions.—
Paul J. Heney,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Fortunately, Sanctions balances its downer tendencies with moments of levity and peculiar arrangements that only Souled American could have concocted.—
Zach Schonfeld,
Pitchfork,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Now Jasmine is in the middle of the second fight she’s concocted out of nowhere in one episode.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
These films are usually a blend of real and faked footage, with Faces of Death leaning much more toward the latter.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
-
That purpose, that drive, that self-belief can’t be faked.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Improvised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvised. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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