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
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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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Recent Examples of contrive
But while none of these scenes would look out of place on a postcard, there’s nothing contrived about Pittenweem.
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Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2024
Trump shot back, claiming that her crowd sizes are contrived.
—Mabinty Quarshie, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Sep. 2024
And while there’s no real need for this story to top out at nearly two hours in length, the editing, from Béatrice Herminie and Pierre Deschamps, keeps a measured pace that neither flags nor contrives some sort of artificial momentum.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 4 Sep. 2024
This contrived metaphor gets brought back in the film’s final scene, a moment of purposeful absurdity that feels like more of a silly joke than anything particularly revealing.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 26 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrive 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrive
Verb
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The trio devised rudimentary games involving images and text questions.Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
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Many cable-news mainstays are devising new programming concepts that move away from the industry standard of single-host opinion programs.Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The sense of right and wrong The Diplomat told us drives Wyler is less important to maintain than zigzag plotting leading the two women to a cliffhanger catfight.Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
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President-elect Trump, charged with plotting to overturn the last election, now establishing himself as a transformational political force, reshaping American politics in his own image.NBC News, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Additionally, 415 hospitals didn't include all payer and plan names in their files, and 231 hospitals didn't post accurate minimum and maximum negotiated charges for items and services.Maya Goldman, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
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In the coming world, machine intelligences navigating conflict and negotiating peace might help clarify, or even surmount, traditional dilemmas.Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Emilia eventually concocts a risky scheme to reunite with her family under the guise of a relative.Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024
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Hyman and his team also concocted a devilish backstory for Tony to explain some of his ostentatious wealth.Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The film focuses on the relationship between Stan’s Trump and his scheming lawyer Roy Cohn (played by Succession star Jeremy Strong).Eric Andersson, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
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Hal takes the information about the scheming Vice President to the President directly who…then apparently has a heart attack and dies on the spot.Paul Tassi, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
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On these two albums, the highest priority is arranging the songs to best showcase the essence and flavor of their melodies.Billboard Japan, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2024
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Your task is to arrange them into four groups of four by figuring out the links between them.Kris Holt, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Unlike other features of the modern Olympics, the marathon was invented expressly for the revival.Miriam Kamil, JSTOR Daily, 20 Nov. 2024
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Since 1987, the FDA has barred interstate shipments of the product and mandated milk be pasteurized, but states control raw milk sales within their borders. Pasteurization, named after French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur, was invented in the 19th century.Natalie Daher, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The complaint alleged Blaire Fleming conspired with a player on Colorado State to influence the outcome of the game and have Fleming's teammate Brooke Slusser hit in the face with a ball during that game.Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 26 Nov. 2024
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The new filing follows a separate petition, in New York, alleging that UMG and Spotify conspired to illegally boost the track’s streams using bots, undisclosed payments, and biased recommendations.Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 26 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near contrive
Cite this Entry
“Contrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrive. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
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