as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
built a contraption for automatically buttering toast
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Recent Examples of contraption
Inventors like Richard Arkwright and James Hargreaves had mechanized spinning with various contraptions, but weaving initially remained too complex to automate.
—
John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Another photo showed the PD and Animal Control using a contraption with a harness to get the dog out, while the final shot showed the dog safely outside of the dumpster, being taken care of by a police officer.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
This little contraption hooks onto the tray table to give your legs a more natural, elevated position.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2025
Ditch the giant Hula-Hoop in Vegas Even though Fremont Street’s pedestrian mall resembles a circus, the Las Vegas City Council does not permit such cirque contraptions as unicycles or Hula-Hoops wider than 4 feet.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contraption
John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Another photo showed the PD and Animal Control using a contraption with a harness to get the dog out, while the final shot showed the dog safely outside of the dumpster, being taken care of by a police officer.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
This little contraption hooks onto the tray table to give your legs a more natural, elevated position.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2025
Ditch the giant Hula-Hoop in Vegas Even though Fremont Street’s pedestrian mall resembles a circus, the Las Vegas City Council does not permit such cirque contraptions as unicycles or Hula-Hoops wider than 4 feet.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contraption
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contraption
gadget
Noun
-
The deal brings OpenAI into the world of hardware, and underscores the growing sense in Silicon Valley that smart AI assistants could upend the gadget world.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
22 May 2025
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In addition to air conditioners, other gadgets can efficiently keep a home cool.—
Khanh T.L. Tran,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contraption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraption. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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