as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
stumbled through an improvised reply to an unexpected question at the press conference
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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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Recent Examples of improvised
John Wilkerson, STAT, 20 Jan. 2026
For the 60-minute monologue, which started as an improvised homage for the artist’s retrospectives at the Brooklyn Museum and MOCA Los Angeles 20 years ago, Smith sets out to help audience members get a deeper sense of the young man behind the myth.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
Davis is a master of jazz, improvised music and both traditional and contemporary classical traditions.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Mochrie then performs an improvised comedy act with the semi-conscious volunteers.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
This writing had an intimate, improvised feel and often took a looser approach to craft; much of it was written with performance in mind.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Carolina’s only touchdown came on an improvised Young scramble.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
Our improvised team of rescuers communicated between the hut and the trail via Garmin InReach.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 24 Dec. 2025
While the pipe bombs did not detonate, both items were assessed as viable improvised explosive devices, police said.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025
Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
Linklater used Dazed and Confused to continue developing his signature style — as seen in his first feature, Slacker (1990) — for making naturalistic movies crammed with contemporary dialogue, some of which was improvised by his cast.
—Lia Beck, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
Australian authorities also said that the shooters had improvised explosives and homemade ISIS flags in their vehicle.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025
Reinerologists would add This Is Spinal Tap to that run, his 1984 feature debut that was largely improvised by Reiner and co-stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Largely improvised, the film follows the spiraling fortunes of once-famous band Spinal Tap, chronicled by director Marty DiBergi, played by Reiner.
—Bill Goodykoontz, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
Refineries are adding improvised overhead netting and shielding, for instance.
—Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2025
That’s when the quarterback improvised.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Also, Dylan improvised in a way the Beatles didn’t.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Isa gives a behind-the-scenes account of an at-times improvised process on a tight deadline.
—John Wilkerson, STAT, 20 Jan. 2026
For the 60-minute monologue, which started as an improvised homage for the artist’s retrospectives at the Brooklyn Museum and MOCA Los Angeles 20 years ago, Smith sets out to help audience members get a deeper sense of the young man behind the myth.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
Davis is a master of jazz, improvised music and both traditional and contemporary classical traditions.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Mochrie then performs an improvised comedy act with the semi-conscious volunteers.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
This writing had an intimate, improvised feel and often took a looser approach to craft; much of it was written with performance in mind.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Carolina’s only touchdown came on an improvised Young scramble.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
Our improvised team of rescuers communicated between the hut and the trail via Garmin InReach.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 24 Dec. 2025
While the pipe bombs did not detonate, both items were assessed as viable improvised explosive devices, police said.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025
Verb
He was joined on stage by his wife, Alexis Roderick, and introduced two young daughters, Della and Remy, who improvised dance routines throughout the crowd-rousing 12-minute cameo.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
Linklater used Dazed and Confused to continue developing his signature style — as seen in his first feature, Slacker (1990) — for making naturalistic movies crammed with contemporary dialogue, some of which was improvised by his cast.
—Lia Beck, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
Australian authorities also said that the shooters had improvised explosives and homemade ISIS flags in their vehicle.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025
Reinerologists would add This Is Spinal Tap to that run, his 1984 feature debut that was largely improvised by Reiner and co-stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Largely improvised, the film follows the spiraling fortunes of once-famous band Spinal Tap, chronicled by director Marty DiBergi, played by Reiner.
—Bill Goodykoontz, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
Refineries are adding improvised overhead netting and shielding, for instance.
—Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2025
That’s when the quarterback improvised.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Also, Dylan improvised in a way the Beatles didn’t.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvised
Adjective
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But such impromptu races weren’t unknown at the time.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Some stood on large metal dumpsters that blocked all traffic, banging on them, while others gave speeches at the growing impromptu memorial for Pretti, who was a 37-year-old ICU nurse at a VA hospital.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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New uses are continually being devised.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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With no worthy opponents left, Baki and the underground fighters grow restless — until a plan is devised to resurrect Miyamoto Musashi, Japan’s greatest swordsman.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Worse, perhaps, leadership in moments of upheaval requires a certain theatricality and improvisational creativity that establishment Republican politicians tend to lack.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
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The bigger concern is the improvisational contributions from Nix — big scrambles, off-platform throws, odd-angle deliveries — have been a significant part of an offense that has struggled at times to hang its hat on anything else consistently.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In The Beauty, Ryan Murphy and co-creator Matthew Hodgson have concocted a genre-hopping oddity that sounds unlikely to work.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
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Prosecutors say Brendan Banfield concocted an elaborate scheme to kill his wife, Christine Banfield, and another man, Joseph Ryan, in their family home in February 2023.—
Lauren del Valle,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On 3rd-and-5, Maye took the snap and faked the handoff.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Stidham faked a handoff on the play and immediately had Patriots star defensive tackle Milton Williams in his face.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Improvised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvised. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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