1
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a new contrivance for cleaning computer keyboards
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2
as in invention
something (as a device) created for the first time through the use of the imagination
despite the many modern contrivances for saving time and labor, we seem to have less leisure and energy than ever before
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in imagination
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others
in that writer's hands, narrative contrivance can often deteriorate into pointless gimmickry
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrivance
The otherwise puzzling choice to film her monologuing about Mormonism while driving feels like a contrivance to extract her from the luxurious interiors that are Bravolebrities’ natural habitat.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 12 Nov. 2025
These contrivances became so well known that, in 2009, the All-American Rejects guitarist Nick Wheeler spent much of his appearance mocking them.
—Kim Hew-Low, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Even the country’s name was a contrivance, borrowed from an empire that had flourished a thousand years earlier and hundreds of miles away, in what is now Mauritania and Mali.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Stories like these usually lurch from one contrivance and complication to the next, but Chad Powers knots itself into a genuinely thorny conflict by the finale.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrivance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrivance
Noun
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Among the machines in my regular rotation are a single-pint gadget and a 2-quart canister model (that’s the kind with the frozen bowl).—
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The little shop’s name comes from the quartermaster character, Q, who provides the gadgets and, more to the point, Aston Martin cars for James Bond in the famous movies.—
Noun
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This also means that if two species as different as humans and bees can independently develop and understand mathematics, then math may not be a human invention at all.—
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Lego’s latest invention — its biggest in half a century, the company says — is dividing fans over its tech integration.—
Noun
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For their part, many voters always seem to be searching for some idealized candidate who exists only in their imagination.—
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The Visionary Award recognizes an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of VFX to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.—
Noun
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Gardening Tools Garden tools should be cleaned after every use to remove fungi, bacteria, and pests that can be transferred to healthy plants.—
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And keep your in-flight essentials like headphones, sleep mask, e-reader, and other tech tools together in your personal item that stays with you at the seat rather than in the overhead bin.—
Noun
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Advocate Health and Charlotte leaders are preparing to put entrepreneurs through a free business bootcamp at The Pearl, the city’s new innovation district.—
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The first research and innovation building is projected to cost up to $260 million, and the university had already begun some pre-construction activities, McCuistion said.—
Noun
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His hair-trigger homemade contraption pressured all three major networks into giving Kiritsis airtime to explain his grievances to the public.—
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Modified from machines used by Planters factories to wrap peanuts, this contraption envelops 5,000 MetroCards every hour—or more than one every second.—
Noun
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This innovative approach not only speeds the design process but also frees up designers to focus on more creative tasks, demonstrating how AI can be used as a tool to augment human creativity rather than replace it.—
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As a member of the Fine Art League of Cupertino, Choudhury volunteers his time and creativity to help people connect and grow through art.—
Cite this Entry
“Contrivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivance. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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