1
as in devising
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
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2
as in plotting
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
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3
as in negotiating
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contriving
Verb
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Meanwhile, researchers were devising methods to make McIntoshes more reliable to grow and using the McIntosh to develop hybrid apples like the Cortland and Milton.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
12 Sep. 2025 -
One of the biggest difficulties in devising laws on the topic of AI for mental health involves defining what constitutes AI for mental health.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Legal woes Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro was just convicted of plotting to overturn an election and sentenced to more than 27 years in prison.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
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In 2022, in Los Angeles, political leaders were exposed for plotting to carve up districts in backroom deals.—
Bernadette Suarez,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Traditional approaches focus on financial engineering such as negotiating discounts for long-term commitments, or on observability tools that track who is running what.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Teamsters announced on Facebook late Friday that their negotiating team has a tentative agreement for members to vote on, ending the strike and allowing next weekend’s Farm Aid concert to continue as planned at the U’s Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Orbán has long sought to consolidate his power through concocting scapegoats for Hungary’s ills.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
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Not only is the kitchen fully on display but a separate alcove is given over to his highly technical lab, a play space dedicated to fermentation, aging, preserving and otherwise concocting.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Foster a culture of inclusion, for example, by arranging monthly or quarterly get-togethers between your in-house team and your freelancers.—
Jessica Wong,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Martha Stewart suggests using half of the pristine pecan halves on top of the filling, arranging them in concentric circles.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Contractors spent approximately $300,000 in federal funds constructing wheelchair ramps, widening hallways, lowering door handles and tearing out lower kitchen cabinets so people with wheelchairs could navigate with ease.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Optimizing these curves—constructing them in a way that maximizes the shape’s area—yields Gerver’s sofa.—
Tom Hawking,
Popular Science,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His powers included manipulating fire, engulfing his body in flames, superhuman strength and flying.—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Sanders, in a motion to the court, accused the initial prosecutor in the case, Tony Rackauckas, of manipulating evidence dealing with jailhouse informants.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Although few people know her name, Yeager had a huge influence on 20th century pop culture — popularizing the bikini, helping discover Bettie Page, shaping the image of Playboy and inventing the selfie.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
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In many ways, today’s LLMs are far too flexible—inventing information or taking unexpected shortcuts.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Contriving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contriving. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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