1
as in devises
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plots
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 negotiates
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 contrives
The team of graphic designers behind Meow Wolf even contrives mini comics based on these realms so readers can get a pulse of how alive these worlds are.
—
Malik Peay, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrives
Verb
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Tiffany Bendayan, a chef and baker in Miami, devises different ways to make the table a space where her daughters—Emily and Sofia—feel comfortable sharing just about anything.—
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Odysseus, the Ithacan warrior who is as celebrated for craftiness as Achilles is for brute strength, devises a clever ruse in which the Greeks place a giant wooden horse outside Troy’s walls and pretend to sail away.—
Verb
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Thus begins a thorny relationship in which Jules plots vengeance, though their dynamic soon takes a fascinating turn.—
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Bad Santa follows an alcoholic scammer named Willie (Thornton) who poses as a mall Santa and plots to rob the stores on Christmas Eve with his sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox).—
Verb
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Wubble then negotiates a deal and offers a one-time payment for their work, at rates Roy argues are more competitive than other companies offering music streaming services.—
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And any player who negotiates an opt-out will want to give himself the best chance to succeed right away.—
Verb
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Executive pastry chef Jess Robertson, Ian’s wife, concocts desserts ranging from $4 oatmeal cream pies to $100 banana splits.—
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Lockjaw, obsessed with everything about Perfidia, concocts a reason to send authorities into the town where Bob and Willa are living.—
Verb
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Chalamet embodies Marty’s arrant showmanship with an evident joy in performance, exactly as Marty himself schemes not only shamelessly but jubilantly.—
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Matthew quickly schemes his way into Oliver’s orbit after that first performance, impressing and rankling the group of lackeys in his entourage at the same time.—
Verb
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Organized Tours The most common option is booking an organized tour where the company arranges your transportation.—
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That changes in episode 6, when Nate (Colm Feore) arranges a meeting between Rebecca and M-Tex’s resident geologist.—
Verb
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Man-su, wanting an accurate sense of his competition, invents a fake job opportunity and puts out a call for applicants.—
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That said, if Stacey can continue to show up as GNA invents new reasons to exist every season, the women could have shown up to the company break-room party that Stacey called a grand opening.—
Verb
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An onboard synthesizer manipulates a small set of core sounds to mimic everything from the roar of a jet plane to the flushing of a toilet through a little speaker in the Brick.—
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Vecna psychically finds Hopper (David Harbour) and manipulates him to break the tank, cutting off the psychic link for her, Kali, and Max.—
Cite this Entry
“Contrives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrives. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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