1
as in gadgets
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a new contrivance for cleaning computer keyboards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in inventions
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrivances
In another area of the factory, machines installed four years earlier already lack certain even-more-modern contrivances.
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Sacbee.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Dara’s performance remains its only bright element but even that gets lost in the many surrounding contrivances.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 Dec. 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
To be fair, most romance plotting is built on contrivances and guaranteed happily ever afters.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
Is the format—the set, the show structure, the million contrivances—part of the joke?
—Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Get past the contrivances, and the comedy has some perceptive observations about the way grief and secrets can color a relationship, plus some very trenchant commentary about the sorry state of the Los Angeles real estate market.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2024
In such an instance, the loosey-goosey facets might allow for a great deal of confusion, finger-pointing, and slippery contrivances.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrivances
Noun
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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.—
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Users can also manage their smart home gadgets within the Alexa+ chat window, the company said.—
Noun
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For centuries, people gathering in bars and pubs have found ways to occupy their time, whether that’s classic games like billiards and darts or more recent inventions like video games and mechanical bulls.—
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The printing press, clocks, muskets — all these inventions changed humankind forever.—
Noun
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Microscopic flaws also create electrical issues, leaking energy that is almost impossible to track with conventional tools.—
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Until our measurement tools capture these realities directly, policymakers will continue to rely on short-termism, intuition, and ideological prejudices rather than evidence.—
Noun
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As supply chains evolve and demands change, plant and factory managers are encouraged to adapt, with technological innovations continually elevating operations.—
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The industry can’t innovate if the brands don’t invest in those innovations.—
Cite this Entry
“Contrivances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivances. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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