1
as in gadgets
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a new contrivance for cleaning computer keyboards
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Yes, the glossy aesthetic occasionally dulls the impact of the director’s more tactile sensibilities, and a few script contrivances stretch believability.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
The script, also by Ahn, leans slightly too much on contrivances to nudge the relationship along.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
In another area of the factory, machines installed four years earlier already lack certain even-more-modern contrivances.
—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
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
The script, also by Ahn, leans slightly too much on contrivances to nudge the relationship along.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
In another area of the factory, machines installed four years earlier already lack certain even-more-modern contrivances.
—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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrivances
Noun
-
Instead of adding more junk to your drawers, these clever gadgets actually solve kitchen dilemmas we’re all faced with.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
-
From a handy travel document organizer to a $10 luggage scale, these travel accessories and gadgets will help everyone get through the check-in line headache-free.—
Kayla Becker,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These were modern inventions made possible by the introduction of railroads to transport prisoners long distances from battlefields, and by the growth of administrative and organizational structures required to manage not just mass armies but hundreds of thousands of prisoners.—
Drew Gilpin Faust,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Author Murray Olderman argued in his book The Pro Quarterback that the modern T Formation came out of the National Recovery Administration in 1933, one of several inventions intended to create excitement and lift the country out of the Depression.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The story summaries above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Miami Herald newsroom.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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Samuel Boivin | Nurphoto | Getty Images Cloudflare's stock gained 5% Wednesday after the company beat Wall Street's fourth-quarter estimates and issued upbeat guidance as artificial intelligence adoption fuels demand for its networking and security tools.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Each organizational choice created affordances and constraints that shaped subsequent innovations.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Expect practical assistance, love and blessings, innovations, and plenty of money.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrivances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivances. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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