contrived; contriving
1
: to make schemes
contriver
noun
Examples of contrive in a Sentence
The prisoners contrived a way to escape.
He contrived a meeting with the president.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Leftists can only dream of actually changing the world on the same scale with their comparatively lame and contrived performance art provocations.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2025
As a result, Liverpool no longer has to sweat so much for its victories or contrive to throw them away.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for contrive
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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
Leftists can only dream of actually changing the world on the same scale with their comparatively lame and contrived performance art provocations.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2025
As a result, Liverpool no longer has to sweat so much for its victories or contrive to throw them away.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for contrive
Cite this Entry
“Contrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contrive. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
contrive
verb
con·trive
kən-ˈtrīv 
contrived; contriving
1
: plan entry 2 sense 1, plot
contrive a way to escape
2
: to form or make in a skillful or clever way : invent
3
: bring about, manage
contriving to make ends meet
contriver
noun
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