as in devising
to perform, make, or do without preparation
since the award was a complete surprise, I improvised an acceptance speech
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Recent Examples of improvising
She’s assisted by Dakota (Whitney Peak), the film’s other, younger heroine, who at one point makes her way over a floating rooftop and rickety branches, improvising the acrobatics of survival.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, New Yorkers have been improvising.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The group sings and harmonizes with the instruments, improvising every now and then.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
That's all Masali just improvising.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Daniel, Chris’s father, has been searching for him ever since, along the banks of the Vistula River, improvising methods and means of investigation.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
This reflects conscientiousness, or the tendency to plan, organize and execute systematically versus improvising and adapting in real time.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
So neighbors have been improvising.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
The franchise already has its playbook, and judging by social media reactions, Blumhouse ran it without improvising for the win.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Dec. 2025
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, New Yorkers have been improvising.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The group sings and harmonizes with the instruments, improvising every now and then.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
That's all Masali just improvising.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Daniel, Chris’s father, has been searching for him ever since, along the banks of the Vistula River, improvising methods and means of investigation.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
This reflects conscientiousness, or the tendency to plan, organize and execute systematically versus improvising and adapting in real time.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
So neighbors have been improvising.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
The franchise already has its playbook, and judging by social media reactions, Blumhouse ran it without improvising for the win.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvising
Verb
-
The Fed traditionally steers clear of political whims when devising monetary policy in part to maintain credibility.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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According to the report, workers illegally pocketed between $20,000 and more than $41,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans from a massive federal COVID-19 pandemic relief effort – some by concocting companies that didn't exist to pocket federal assistance funds.—
Chris Tye,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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As Gyllenhaal begins concocting her third directorial feature, could Curtis be part of the picture?—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors accused Saladino of faking an invoice to boost revenues and earnings, according to documents seen by Bloomberg.—
Luca Casiraghi,
Bloomberg,
24 Apr. 2026
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After an assassination attempt on President Andrew Jackson in 1835, the opposition party accused him of faking it for public sympathy.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Improvising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvising. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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