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What exactly is a contraption?
In the words of one Little Mermaid, “I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty.” It would have been on-theme (though perhaps a bit clunky) for the aquatic princess to include in her siren song the word contraption. Synonymous with both gadget and gizmo, and widget too, in referring to mechanical and electronic devices, contraption is also one of a raft of terms people reach for when talking about various human-made bits and bobs, whether mechanical or not. (It's thought to have possibly been formed as a blend of contrivance, trap, and invention.) Want more thingamabob words? Try doohickey, thingamajig, dingus, or doodad.
Examples of contraption in a Sentence
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
That’s the spirit of the Red Bull Soapbox Race, a global spectacle where teams build completely absurd, non-motorized contraptions and send them careening down a track littered with ramps, jumps, and other obstacles designed purely for chaos.
—Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
His contraption seemingly kills everyone but Walt, Jesse, Todd, and Jack.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contraption
Cite this Entry
“Contraption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contraption. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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contraption
noun
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