as in to concoct
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
she quickly devised a new scheme when the first one failed
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devise
This was a period when literary critics had real power and were devising new ways of reading—focused on the fluidity of language and the instability of textual meaning—that reshaped the humanities and social sciences.
—
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
But as the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season nears, many Floridians are bracing for the storm, and that includes buying a hurricane preparedness kit, getting the hurricane shutters out of the garage, and/or devising what to do with your car.
—Jennifer Sangalang, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
But the scenes she’s devised for these sympathetically difficult oddballs go nowhere.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
In a set of classified documents that one government official bravely saved and later published, the concreteness with which the lies were devised is apparent.
—Lauren Cassidy, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devise
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
But as the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season nears, many Floridians are bracing for the storm, and that includes buying a hurricane preparedness kit, getting the hurricane shutters out of the garage, and/or devising what to do with your car.
—Jennifer Sangalang, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
But the scenes she’s devised for these sympathetically difficult oddballs go nowhere.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
In a set of classified documents that one government official bravely saved and later published, the concreteness with which the lies were devised is apparent.
—Lauren Cassidy, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devise
Verb
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The tank weighing down the back of Kyle Nicolson’s truck holds a mixture of water, nutrients and fertilizer concocted through years of tinkering, first by his grandfather, then his dad, his uncle and his cousins.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Authorities believe Simko met one of the suspects at a cannabis festival in Ann Arbor, where the suspects reportedly concocted a plan to set up a fake business deal and steal what officials said was upwards of 50 pounds of marijuana.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Major motion pictures partnering with brands to promote movies is the norm now, a practice that has evolved as quickly as technology has since the iPhone was invented in 2007, which can sometimes feel like an attack on your nervous system.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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The city doesn’t need to invent a solution.—
Louis Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Scientific papers are filled with acronyms — some little more than strings of letters, others carefully constructed to form recognizable words, like GANDALF (Gas AND Absorption Line Fitting) and MIAOW (Minimum Inertia Adaptive Optics Widget).—
Clarissa Brincat,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
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Our everyday lives present unlimited opportunities to construct justice and liberation in our food system and otherwise.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devise. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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