1
as in devises
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plots
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 negotiates
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
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Recent Examples of contrives
Her early death, after an illness that the father initially contrives to ignore then notices just in time to capture her desperation in a fine sketch, leaves Mimí utterly disoriented, yearning only to achieve a level of self-control and detachment that will spare him their tumultuous struggle.
—
Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
The team of graphic designers behind Meow Wolf even contrives mini comics based on these realms so readers can get a pulse of how alive these worlds are.
—Malik Peay, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
The team of graphic designers behind Meow Wolf even contrives mini comics based on these realms so readers can get a pulse of how alive these worlds are.
—Malik Peay, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrives
Verb
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In her work, Mackintosh devises scenarios that are bold and almost aggressively simplified.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
-
As the doppelganger charms the internet and devises a nefarious plot to replace mankind with brainrot, Shiori must partner with other online outcasts to stop her digital counterpart and reclaim her life in the real world.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In Part 2 the factional fighting at court is increased rather than lessened by the arrival of Margaret of Anjou, the new queen, who—together with her lover, the duke of Suffolk—plots against Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, and his ambitious duchess, Eleanor.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Robert Pattinson also enters the franchise as the villain Scytale, who plots to end Paul's rule over the universe.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Or, debt forgiveness, also known as debt settlement — which is where a debt relief company negotiates to reduce your balance in return for a lower lump-sum payment — could be the better route.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
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As Maxey negotiates his first season as the 76ers’ predominant number-one option, the lessons are coming daily.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At dinner, the chef concocts a concise selection of three courses, taking personal dietary requirements into account.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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In it, Pattinson concocts three cocktails thematically linked to his own work and three more inspired by his all-time favorite films.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Marty, who was loosely based on real-life ping-pong legend Marty Reisman, schemes his way to competitions across the globe and hustles for pocket cash.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Mar. 2026
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Joy Randolph, follows a desperate gallery owner (Portman) who schemes to sell a dead man as art at Art Basel in Miami.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But elsewhere Margaret—who produced the record with longtime collaborator Doug Saltzman—arranges the same core sounds into more interesting, textured configurations, wielding millennial touchstones without the baggage.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
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In the weeks before the draft, a team of decision-makers gathers there and hears reports on each player, discusses them and arranges the players on the board by a grade.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That kind of popularity and radiant goodness produces a lineage of artists but doesn’t have the crowd appeal of a lone genius who invents a flying machine or pulls a seventeen-foot sculpture out of a block of marble.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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Rather than reproducing Monroe’s public mythology, Oates invents a fictional interior life for Norma Jeane Baker, exploring the psychological cost of becoming a cultural icon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But there is a point where the prediction shapes and manipulates the actual outcome.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Searching for inspiration for her next novel, Elise subtly manipulates the people closest to her like characters in a book.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contrives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrives. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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