as in to improvise
to perform, make, or do without preparation
a good talk show host has to be able to extemporize the interviews when things don't go as planned
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Recent Examples of extemporize
The future, instead, seems to belong to the teams and coaches who are willing to be a little more flexible and see their role as providing a platform on which their players might extemporize.
—
Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2023
Friends said he was talented and could extemporize about anything.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2023
Feel free to extemporize, enthuse and connect with people, rather than overwork the data.
—Palena Neale, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2021
In public appearances, Emanuel likes to extemporize, cajole, and find a connection.
—Connie Bruck, The New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2021
The Trump that appeared in the East Room of the White House to honor the singers was not the same figure who likes to crack jokes and extemporize freely when rubbing shoulders with superstars.
—Rob Crilly, Washington Examiner, 15 Jan. 2021
That meant players were able to extemporize, to take chances without being accused of departing too far from the team playbook.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2019
And they are exacerbated by Mr. Trump’s tendency to extemporize and the North Koreans’ long track record of duplicitous negotiation.
—Jonathan Cheng, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2018
Each presenter now has the freedom to extemporize on the warning — a nonnegotiable requirement of the program’s opening — but not by much.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2017
Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2023
Friends said he was talented and could extemporize about anything.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2023
Feel free to extemporize, enthuse and connect with people, rather than overwork the data.
—Palena Neale, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2021
In public appearances, Emanuel likes to extemporize, cajole, and find a connection.
—Connie Bruck, The New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2021
The Trump that appeared in the East Room of the White House to honor the singers was not the same figure who likes to crack jokes and extemporize freely when rubbing shoulders with superstars.
—Rob Crilly, Washington Examiner, 15 Jan. 2021
That meant players were able to extemporize, to take chances without being accused of departing too far from the team playbook.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2019
And they are exacerbated by Mr. Trump’s tendency to extemporize and the North Koreans’ long track record of duplicitous negotiation.
—Jonathan Cheng, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2018
Each presenter now has the freedom to extemporize on the warning — a nonnegotiable requirement of the program’s opening — but not by much.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extemporize
Verb
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McCartney and John both have larger-than-cameo roles in the movie, playing music with the band and improvising dialogue along with the cast.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
31 July 2025
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The original film — directed by Reiner and written, improvised and performed by McKean, Guest, and Shearer — released to critical acclaim and went on to become a cult classic.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
31 July 2025
Verb
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As the Panthers’ general manager from 2013 to just before the 2017 season began, Gettleman devised the rosters that pushed Carolina to four playoff berths in five years.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
17 July 2025
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Participants identify challenges in their communities and devise local, innovative solutions to address them.—
Cynthia Tully,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Prosecutors say the men met while in county jail, then concocted the plan to kill the victim.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 July 2025
-
Stan Lee himself concocted the idea of a robo-pal to round out the group.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
26 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Extemporize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extemporize. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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