as in devising
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 improvising
Without governance, students receive mixed messages and faculty are left improvising in isolation.
—
Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Since 2022, Wysocki has established himself as social media’s favorite cast member on Make Some Noise, Dropout’s game show in which contestants are rewarded points for improvising scenes based on comedic prompts.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
Which is especially odd considering the many examples of their peers improvising, adapting, repurposing players to fit a role as required.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Washington is unsurprisingly mesmerizing, improvising small gestures and throwing away lines.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
There is no need to look any further than Allen, Daboll’s former pupil, for a blueprint of how holding the ball and improvising can go right.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Since 2022, Wysocki has established himself as social media’s favorite cast member on Make Some Noise, Dropout’s game show in which contestants are rewarded points for improvising scenes based on comedic prompts.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
Which is especially odd considering the many examples of their peers improvising, adapting, repurposing players to fit a role as required.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Washington is unsurprisingly mesmerizing, improvising small gestures and throwing away lines.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
There is no need to look any further than Allen, Daboll’s former pupil, for a blueprint of how holding the ball and improvising can go right.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvising
Verb
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The two quickly built a rapport, and Preservation began sending ‘Nandez beats, eventually inviting him to New Orleans to hang out while devising the project’s sonic core and predominant themes.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
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With final approval, the district will now form a seven-member architectural review committee that will be charged with devising design review guidelines for the area.—
Killian Baarlaer,
Louisville Courier Journal,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Orbán has long sought to consolidate his power through concocting scapegoats for Hungary’s ills.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
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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
Verb
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Last month, a man was arrested after faking a bomb threat at the same ICE facility where Wednesday’s shooting occurred.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
25 Sep. 2025
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Roughly 62 percent said that job seekers are now better at faking their identities with AI than hiring teams are at detecting them, and 31 percent had interviewed a candidate who was later revealed to be using a fake identity.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Improvising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvising. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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