as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
not bad for an ad-lib comedy routine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in improvisation
something that is performed, made, or done without preparation
you would never suspect that that stirring speech was an ad-lib
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to improvise
to perform, make, or do without preparation
had to ad-lib constructing a piñata because she'd never actually seen it being done
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ad-lib
Sabrina Park, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Mar. 2023
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2025
While much of the show was scripted, Lowe was also allowed to ad-lib, which further helped solidify the show’s off-kilter, edgy sense of humor.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2025
During their jam session with Bad Bunny, the group was able to ad-lib an element unique to their hometown: the tale of Jacinto, a farmer who is dragged by his cow into a ocean blowhole, famously known as Jacinto’s pit cave.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
First of all, Megan gets to ad-lib every night and comes up with really funny lines every single night.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
According to Patton Oswalt, the cast would ad-lib jokes for Reynolds to say to Blade in Snipes’s absence.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024
But little did Pearson know, Key would one-up these references with an ad-lib.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024
McCall’s ad-lib joke about beetles (as in the insect) got them the biggest laugh.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2024
Once, the teleprompter unexpectedly rebooted toward the end of a speech, forcing Biden to ad-lib while his speechwriter at the time, Dylan Loewe, frantically retyped the ending in real time.
—Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 4 July 2024
Adjective
At the same time, more ad-lib moments are often expected onstage, bound to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
—Sabrina Park, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Mar. 2023
Verb
The camera then cut to Tiger Woods — co-founder of the new three-on-three golf league — who broke out into a wide smile, laughing and shaking his head at the ad-lib.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2025
While much of the show was scripted, Lowe was also allowed to ad-lib, which further helped solidify the show’s off-kilter, edgy sense of humor.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2025
During their jam session with Bad Bunny, the group was able to ad-lib an element unique to their hometown: the tale of Jacinto, a farmer who is dragged by his cow into a ocean blowhole, famously known as Jacinto’s pit cave.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
First of all, Megan gets to ad-lib every night and comes up with really funny lines every single night.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
According to Patton Oswalt, the cast would ad-lib jokes for Reynolds to say to Blade in Snipes’s absence.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024
But little did Pearson know, Key would one-up these references with an ad-lib.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024
McCall’s ad-lib joke about beetles (as in the insect) got them the biggest laugh.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2024
Once, the teleprompter unexpectedly rebooted toward the end of a speech, forcing Biden to ad-lib while his speechwriter at the time, Dylan Loewe, frantically retyped the ending in real time.
—Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 4 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ad-lib
Adjective
-
In addition to First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, other guests included a trio of Jewish White House staffers who threw together an impromptu seder the year before while campaigning with Obama.—
Penny Schwartz,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Mar. 2025
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In fact, we’re tempted to use it as an impromptu side table, thanks to the smooth and sturdy wooden lid.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In this week’s promo for Saturday Night Live, a bespectacled, dressed down Gaga — who will be both host and musical guest Saturday — sits at a piano in the SNL offices, performing musical improvisations that comment on various cast members passing through.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2025
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India has used a mix of improvisation, co-optation, and coercion to control the northeast, often betraying its own constitutional values in the process.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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When plays broke down, and Allen needed to improvise, Shakir showed a terrific knack for finding open space and, even at times, getting behind the defense for a big play.—
Joe Buscaglia,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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On the modern battlefield, cheap drones and improvised explosive devices menace ground forces, uncrewed vessels and antiship missiles threaten surface ships, and sophisticated air defenses imperil aircraft.—
Zack Cooper,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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To make this work, Dykstra devised a way to combine a film camera with a computer, enabling each ship-miniature movement to be repeated precisely over multiple runs, at different angles: a system known as motion control.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
-
With the annual awards show slated to stream live on Hulu for the first time, alongside its regular broadcast on ABC, Disney devised packages that took sponsorships well beyond the program itself.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Taking this idea and combining it with an attention to convenience and versatility while cooking, Heinz concocted three new products ready to be devoured.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Feb. 2025
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Matthew Rankin, a Canadian historian and prankster, has concocted a starkly enchanting Winnipeg where Farsi is the main language of storefronts, guided tours and everyday grievances, like the woman who gripes about sharing a bus with a live turkey.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The future, instead, seems to belong to the teams and coaches who are willing to be a little more flexible and see their role as providing a platform on which their players might extemporize.—
Rory Smith,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2023
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Friends said he was talented and could extemporize about anything.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2023
Verb
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That said, exit velocity cannot be faked, and sharing company with the likes of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani isn’t insignificant.—
Justice delos Santos,
The Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2025
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In the thriller musical, the 52-year-old actress plays a Mexican drug cartel leader who fakes her death and undergoes gender-affirming surgery.—
Vivian Kwarm,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ad-lib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ad-lib. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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