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
Staff should be trained so schools are not improvising under pressure, and families should know that their children’s schools are places of learning and support.
—
Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
At times, the piano players in his groups would simply back off during part of Rollins’ solos, loath to risk following the twisting pathways of his improvising.
—Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
The fact that a leading company is now consulting theologians is either a rare sign of humility or of an industry improvising its ethics in real time—possibly both.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 26 May 2026
Meanwhile, fans are improvising their own solutions.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 25 May 2026
The escalating humanitarian crisis within Cuba remains a wildcard that could yet force either side into improvising responses.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 May 2026
Well after midnight, after two long pieces—and an hour of improvising—Jarrett brought the music to a delicate close.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
The breakthrough came when Tash resurfaced months-old recordings of the two casually improvising at the piano.
—Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2026
Indeed, before an August 2025 show at Los Angeles’ Lodge Room, the IVTet convened at Parker’s home studio to rehearse for two days, to return to the act of improvising together.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
At times, the piano players in his groups would simply back off during part of Rollins’ solos, loath to risk following the twisting pathways of his improvising.
—Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
The fact that a leading company is now consulting theologians is either a rare sign of humility or of an industry improvising its ethics in real time—possibly both.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 26 May 2026
Meanwhile, fans are improvising their own solutions.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 25 May 2026
The escalating humanitarian crisis within Cuba remains a wildcard that could yet force either side into improvising responses.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 May 2026
Well after midnight, after two long pieces—and an hour of improvising—Jarrett brought the music to a delicate close.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
The breakthrough came when Tash resurfaced months-old recordings of the two casually improvising at the piano.
—Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2026
Indeed, before an August 2025 show at Los Angeles’ Lodge Room, the IVTet convened at Parker’s home studio to rehearse for two days, to return to the act of improvising together.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvising
Verb
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States are getting creative in devising how the money will be collected either through taxation or voluntary donations by state residents.—
Noël Fletcher,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Working with industry qubits Imec’s genius is not in devising a new kind of qubit but in using one that’s the easiest to scale.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
26 May 2026
Verb
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And she’s spent a decade scaling her brand into an industry disrupter; Ellsworth began concocting prebiotic drinks in 2015, founding her business just one year later.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
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According to the report, workers illegally pocketed between $20,000 and more than $41,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans from a massive federal COVID-19 pandemic relief effort – some by concocting companies that didn't exist to pocket federal assistance funds.—
Chris Tye,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hit men are dispatched, homicide takes hold, and a smear campaign is hatched to discredit Zaminsky as faking signals to keep his SETI gig.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
31 May 2026
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Oba Femi Destroys Brock Lesnar Again After seemingly faking his retirement at WrestleMania 42 following a shockingly lopsided loss to Oba Femi, Brock Lesnar is already back and will face Femi once again at Clash in Italy.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Improvising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvising. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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