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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of improvised
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 June 2026
Intersections became improvised plazas, clotted with bodies.
—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
Detectives who reviewed surveillance footage from the area along with evidence at the scene determined that the suspect used a rock to break a window and started fire using an improvised incendiary device, according to police.
—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Garbage piles now choke nearly every Havana street corner, filling neighborhoods with stench, flies and rats as residents navigate improvised dumps outside homes, hospitals and busy thoroughfares.
—
Andrea Rodríguez,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
All-Stars will perform an improvised version of the award-winning podcast.
—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
31 May 2026
Now, those nightly improvised tangents have become one of the production's most beloved elements.
—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
In March, a man bearing an AR-15-style rifle crashed a car loaded with improvised explosives into a Michigan Jewish preschool near dismissal time.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
The over 13-minute uncut interview shows the rapper thoroughly unsettling Colbert, in an improvised rap about, among other things, a romantic relationship between the pair of them.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
French Economy Minister Roland Lescure, who attended the dinner, described the signing as largely improvised.
—
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Professional sports are better equipped to withstand a culture increasingly saturated by gambling because the rules are bargained, not improvised.
—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
The show, partly scripted and partly improvised, relies heavily on audience participation and a willingness to be vulnerable.
—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Four years later, the same governments improvised the same shortfalls under the conditions of national emergency.
—
Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Rivilis also coaxes confident, naturalistic performances from her non-professional cast, who largely improvised their dialogue, making this a good fit for festivals with young audiences.
—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
25 May 2026
The decision to restrict exports of minerals critical to defense and clean energy wasn’t improvised.
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
There’s a moment in Diamond between me and Vicky that was improvised in our last scene together.
—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Adjective
Víg had no prior experience composing for film, and the project – which relied heavily on documentary aesthetics and improvised performance – made for a steep learning curve.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 June 2026
Intersections became improvised plazas, clotted with bodies.
—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
Detectives who reviewed surveillance footage from the area along with evidence at the scene determined that the suspect used a rock to break a window and started fire using an improvised incendiary device, according to police.
—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Garbage piles now choke nearly every Havana street corner, filling neighborhoods with stench, flies and rats as residents navigate improvised dumps outside homes, hospitals and busy thoroughfares.
—
Andrea Rodríguez,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
All-Stars will perform an improvised version of the award-winning podcast.
—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
31 May 2026
Now, those nightly improvised tangents have become one of the production's most beloved elements.
—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
In March, a man bearing an AR-15-style rifle crashed a car loaded with improvised explosives into a Michigan Jewish preschool near dismissal time.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
The over 13-minute uncut interview shows the rapper thoroughly unsettling Colbert, in an improvised rap about, among other things, a romantic relationship between the pair of them.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
Alex Zhang Hungtai collages a bewildering array of acoustic, electric, ancient, and modern sounds on this noirish double album, improvised and composed over several years with an ad-hoc coterie that includes string and woodwind players, a noise musician, a Korean gong resonator, and a tap dancer.
—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
French Economy Minister Roland Lescure, who attended the dinner, described the signing as largely improvised.
—
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Professional sports are better equipped to withstand a culture increasingly saturated by gambling because the rules are bargained, not improvised.
—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
The show, partly scripted and partly improvised, relies heavily on audience participation and a willingness to be vulnerable.
—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Four years later, the same governments improvised the same shortfalls under the conditions of national emergency.
—
Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Rivilis also coaxes confident, naturalistic performances from her non-professional cast, who largely improvised their dialogue, making this a good fit for festivals with young audiences.
—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
25 May 2026
The decision to restrict exports of minerals critical to defense and clean energy wasn’t improvised.
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
There’s a moment in Diamond between me and Vicky that was improvised in our last scene together.
—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvised
Adjective
-
Videos of every speech, impromptu press conference and gaff circulate on social media.
-
The impromptu match, published on X June 20, formed part of NASA's push to explain how space relates to soccer.
Verb
-
There’s everything from herbals like rhubarb and nettle to green teas and Fortnum’s own signature blends, like Wedding Breakfast or Jubilee, devised in honor of the Queen’s Diamond celebrations in 2012.
-
In addition to removing the commission’s direct authority over the chief job, Houston — who devised his proposal with Council President Kevin Jenkins — sought to eliminate a selection panel that appoints four of the commission’s members, allowing the council to handpick them instead.
Adjective
-
At the same time, Wilde wanted an improvisational rehearsal process in which the actors could discover and breathe life into the characters.
-
The wild card is Chicago alto saxophonist Lenard Simpson, a prodigious young player known for his impassioned improvisational flights.
Verb
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In the one that opens the film, Forky (Tony Hale), the googly-eyed spork, marries a plastic knife called Karen Beverly (Melissa Villaseñor), a name so perfectly unmelodious that only a kid, or an adult exceptionally good at thinking like one, could have concocted it.
-
Every detail is accurate, though the picture as a whole is an invention, concocted from multiple views, locations, and studies.
Verb
-
Parker was a mother of two children who faked a pregnancy while in a relationship with Wade Griffin in 2020.
-
Unlike its predecessors, physical capability can’t be purchased overnight, outsourced, or faked for long.
Cite this Entry
“Improvised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvised. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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