as in strained
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the contrived applause of a TV studio audience that has been told when to clap
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in concocted
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plotted
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 negotiated
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 contrived
Austin Meek, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Davis Gates is the lead puppeteer for the union and the mayor and chief antagonist to Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, and her mean-spirited grandstanding is little more than a series of contrived media stunts.
—Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025
Gabbard dissented from this contrived consensus on Syria, actively resisting the false narratives of the permanent national security bureaucracy.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Her role intends to put a human face on the awful burden fame imposes on those who are sidelined from the ones in the addictive spotlight, but it’s presented in a contrived manner, even though Fanning gives it her all.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for contrived
Adjective
The past two seasons have given us Michigan vs. Everybody and Ohio Against the World, both of which felt a bit contrived.
—Austin Meek, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Davis Gates is the lead puppeteer for the union and the mayor and chief antagonist to Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, and her mean-spirited grandstanding is little more than a series of contrived media stunts.
—Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025
Gabbard dissented from this contrived consensus on Syria, actively resisting the false narratives of the permanent national security bureaucracy.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Her role intends to put a human face on the awful burden fame imposes on those who are sidelined from the ones in the addictive spotlight, but it’s presented in a contrived manner, even though Fanning gives it her all.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for contrived
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrived
Adjective
-
For years, Knight has hinted at Snoop’s alleged jealousy of Tupac, believing that the East Coast-West Coast rivalry and personal tensions led to strained relationships within their inner circle.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
25 Feb. 2025
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State of play: DeSantis and Trump have long had a strained relationship.—
Ivana Saric,
Axios,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Desperate for more space, the city negotiated an initial $40 million deal with the Row, still in financial straits from the pandemic.—
Luis Ferré-Sadurní,
New York Times,
23 Dec. 2024
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However, as lawmakers negotiated that year’s finance legislation, some believed the government needed stronger transparency legislation.—
Nana Ama Sarfo,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The Athletic's college football reporters conducted a mock draft, which had the Titans taking Miami quarterback Cam Ward.—
Nate Rau,
Axios,
26 Feb. 2025
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There already have been a deluge of mock drafts and prospect rankings.—
Jim Reineking,
USA TODAY,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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That should become a standard part of the chain-of-thoughts being devised by AI.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
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Similarly, Ping’s team devised a system that pauses the pH-modulating current just long enough for a graphene transistor to record accurate readings without interference.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The book, which was written in 1948, focuses on the consequences of totalitarianism, the government’s mass surveillance of the public and how truth and fact can be manipulated.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
3 Jan. 2025
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The actor who plays Sofia Falcone in the HBO series never went method (unlike some Batman villains), but the part required tapping into a character who has been gaslit, manipulated, and isolated from society in every way.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Advanced algorithms and neural networks can analyze pixel artifacts, unnatural movements and other subtle audio-visual data inconsistencies to detect deepfakes accurately.—
Dan Yerushalmi,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
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That comes from Reid, according to Kelce, and it’s led an almost unnatural level of calm across the team.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Even the bed—a plush, temperature-regulating masterpiece—felt like it had been engineered specifically to cradle you into the best rest of your life.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
30 Dec. 2024
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While there is entertainment from a live DJ, the Guest House is acoustically engineered for conversation, with music layered into the ambiance.—
Melinda Sheckells,
The Hollywood Reporter,
29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In those documents, West discussed not only how to conduct experiments to implant false memories, instill specific mental disorders, and induce trance states, but also how to hide them.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
8 Mar. 2025
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To illustrate, in the United Kingdom vaccinations took a considerable dip in the early 2000s after Wakefield’ false claims of a link between the MMR shot and autism were posted in the media.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to contrived
Cite this Entry
“Contrived.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrived. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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