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What exactly is a contraption?
In the words of one Little Mermaid, “I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty.” It would have been on-theme (though perhaps a bit clunky) for the aquatic princess to include in her siren song the word contraption. Synonymous with both gadget and gizmo, and widget too, in referring to mechanical and electronic devices, contraption is also one of a raft of terms people reach for when talking about various human-made bits and bobs, whether mechanical or not. (It's thought to have possibly been formed as a blend of contrivance, trap, and invention.) Want more thingamabob words? Try doohickey, thingamajig, dingus, or doodad.
Examples of contraption in a Sentence
Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
Video footage shows the giant Pacific octopus grabbing the camera and its reddish body covering more and more of the contraption.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Another standout snippet was when Andrés and Meghan ate food from an unusual kitchen contraption.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Prior to the 1947 Roswell incident and Area 51’s ensuing cultural ascendency, UFO reports described all kinds of odd aerial vehicles—from zeppelin-like contraptions to streamlined rockets.
—Andrew Paul Jul 30, Popular Science, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for contraption
Cite this Entry
“Contraption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contraption. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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contraption
noun
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