1
as in to devise
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to plot
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
the mischievous boys were always contriving and trying to pull the prank that would be the talk of the school
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to negotiate
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care
contrived a way of planning the surprise party without their catching on to it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrive
But if that purpose feels contrived or opportunistic, the effect reverses.
—
Michael Shribman, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
First, it was hastily contrived and had weak monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
—Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2025
The Florida court contrived a weird and arbitrary compromise, granting new sentencing hearings only to death row prisoners whose sentences were considered final after 2002, when the U.S. court issued a decision that was a precursor to Hurst’s.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 July 2025
Cool, contrived, controversial, captivating, contentious, curious, confounding — pick your adjective.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Michael Shribman, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
First, it was hastily contrived and had weak monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
—Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2025
The Florida court contrived a weird and arbitrary compromise, granting new sentencing hearings only to death row prisoners whose sentences were considered final after 2002, when the U.S. court issued a decision that was a precursor to Hurst’s.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 July 2025
Cool, contrived, controversial, captivating, contentious, curious, confounding — pick your adjective.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrive
Verb
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Laws governing the use of AI should be devised in a Goldilocks manner.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
While creatives have historically devised and illustrated their ideas, using tech tools like Photoshop to fine-tune them, the script appears to have flipped — with AI starting the process and humans perfecting the final product.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Its director, and franchise mastermind, Rian Johnson has proven himself a master of the whodunnit form with these films, showing a knack for Agatha Christie puzzle-plotting that, well, the actual adapters of Christie haven’t shown in recent years.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
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Unlike navigating on a flat map using Euclidean geometry, aeronautical navigation requires solving complex problems by calculating position and plotting courses on a model of the Earth as an ellipsoid, or a sphere.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Its Office for Civil Rights investigates allegations at schools and negotiates corrective actions.—
Fred Clasen-Kelly,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
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Looking forward, 185 countries are negotiating a global plastics treaty aimed at ending plastic pollution by 2040, and to promote a closed loop approach, phasing out unnecessary plastics and encouraging the use of sustainable alternatives.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To solve this problem, materials scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have concocted a new sunscreen recipe that spares the ocean’s vital microorganisms.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 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
-
Jones’ limitations aren’t going away, but his can be schemed around, which was less the case with Richardson.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Watch Saturday Night on Netflix Set It Up Two assistants scheme to set up their respective demanding bosses to get them off their backs.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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North was convicted in 1989 on three felony charges for helping to arrange the illicit sale of weapons to Iran and divert the proceeds to fund a secret war against anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Wegovy injection pens arranged in Waterbury, Vermont, US, on Monday, April 28, 2025.—
Karen Gilchrist,Katrina Bishop,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The genius was a man named Joel Houghton, who invented and patented a mechanical dishwasher in 1850.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Zambia also invented the walking safari.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In Greenberg’s novel, Cherry and Hero are already secret lovers who conspire to thwart the menfolk’s machinations.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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Having rolled out the red carpet in Alaska, Trump on Wednesday accused Putin of conspiring with China and North Korea after the three countries' leaders staged a show of unity in Beijing at a lavish commemoration of the end of World War Two.—
John Irish,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrive. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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