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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrive
Parents can expect to see a diverse leading cast, that doesn't feel contrived at all but rather, shows what high-level officials, politicians, soldiers, and world leaders look like in the real world.
—
Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 14 Feb. 2025
Even Belinda’s presence in Thailand still feels contrived to me.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025
And the overt nod to the sinking of the Titanic feels contrived, since there is little obvious connection between the 1912 maritime disaster and the political intrigues of 17th-century Denmark.
—Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Back then, the weather was an easy way to contrive narrative tension for a story whose ending felt too obvious.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 14 Feb. 2025
Even Belinda’s presence in Thailand still feels contrived to me.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025
And the overt nod to the sinking of the Titanic feels contrived, since there is little obvious connection between the 1912 maritime disaster and the political intrigues of 17th-century Denmark.
—Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Back then, the weather was an easy way to contrive narrative tension for a story whose ending felt too obvious.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrive
Verb
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From harborside penthouses to country retreats, Daher Interior Design devises functional and beautiful spaces that stand the test of time.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
15 Apr. 2025
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Though the defenses devised by Perrin hold for a long time despite there being only a grand total of three professional soldiers in the entire village — Faile, Bain, and Chiad — the good guys are betrayed from within.—
Sean T. Collins,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Less than a month into the job, Trump and the Japanese Prime Minister plotted their response to a North Korean missile launch in the open-air patio of Mar a Lago, photos of which ended up on Facebook.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Mar. 2025
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During his trial at the Constitutional Court last month, Han denied plotting martial law with Yoon.—
Gawon Bae,
CNN,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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His special envoy to Ukraine set a goal of negotiating an agreement even quicker during the first 100 days of Trump's term.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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Still, there’s a fine line between negotiating smartly and offending a seller.—
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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He was not accused of concocting evidence against Read.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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He is credited with concocting the opaque formula used to calculate the tariffs imposed on imports from each country, which is based on the trade deficit between the U.S. and each trading partner, not their tariffs on American imports.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Robert Trebor, who portrayed the serial killer known as the Son of Sam in a CBS telefilm and the scheming merchant Salmoneus on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and its sister series, Xena: Warrior Princess, has died.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2025
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Between the godmothers’ grief and a less-than-adequate police department, Lila will have to seek justice on her own terms and figure out which scheming godmother the vendetta was meant for.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Oz: On [Richard’s] birthday, Laura arranged for maybe a dozen Civil War reenactors to come galloping onto the set.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2025
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But the human author was a sort of conductor: prompting, arranging, intervening.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Dire wolves did overlap with early humans at the end of the Ice Age, around 11,500 years ago, but humans had barely invented agriculture at that point, let alone begun building the cities and interstate highways that would encroach upon the natural world.—
Andrea Marks,
Rolling Stone,
12 Apr. 2025
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Case managers invented case details and Deployed workers would role-play as students in classrooms, even asking for permission to go to the bathroom, according to the former Deployed workers and social media posts of former workers describing the surreal situation.—
Jeff Ernsthausen,
ProPublica,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Prosecutors are accusing Vallow Daybell of conspiring with her late brother, Alex Cox, to murder her late husband, Charles Vallow, to benefit from a $1 million life insurance policy and marry another man, Chad Daybell, in 2019.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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Prosecutors told jurors the brothers were lying and had conspired to kill their parents with shotguns purchased two days earlier in San Diego using false identification.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrive. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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