as in strained
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the contrived applause of a TV studio audience that has been told when to clap
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in concocted
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
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2
as in plotted
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
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3
as in negotiated
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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrived
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2024
Worse still, if the negation of the axiom of choice were true, there wouldn’t just be a few (very contrived) examples of sets that can’t be measured—the whole theory of measurement would collapse!
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024
A lot of reality shows are people who just met for the sake of the show, these contrived situations.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 29 Mar. 2024
Back then, however, the orthodox view regarded secrecy as concealment in social interaction, a definition that forced experimenters into contrived scenarios.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrived 
Adjective
To update all this for the present, there are some contrived explanations — the girls made the burn book during a period in middle school where their teachers banned phone use — as well as a heavy ladling of references to the internet.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2024
Worse still, if the negation of the axiom of choice were true, there wouldn’t just be a few (very contrived) examples of sets that can’t be measured—the whole theory of measurement would collapse!
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024
A lot of reality shows are people who just met for the sake of the show, these contrived situations.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 29 Mar. 2024
Back then, however, the orthodox view regarded secrecy as concealment in social interaction, a definition that forced experimenters into contrived scenarios.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrived
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrived
Adjective
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By William Baldwin, Senior Contributor State budgets are strained and tax hikes might make voters angry or businesses inclined to leave.William Baldwin, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
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The return of former chief scout Sven Mislintat — with whom Kehl has a strained relationship — as technical director, further complicated his role.Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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However, as lawmakers negotiated that year’s finance legislation, some believed the government needed stronger transparency legislation.Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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As lawmakers negotiated the Finance Bill 2016, Flint introduced an amendment that would require multinationals to publish their CbC reports within their tax strategy reports.Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Most current mock drafts have Shedeur landing somewhere in the top three picks, which makes sense considering there are a ton of quarterback-needy teams.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 11 Jan. 2025
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But the upper stage will do something new on Flight 7, deploying 10 mock satellites — inactive versions of SpaceX's Starlink broadband craft — which will follow Ship's suborbital trajectory and splash down in the Indian Ocean as well.Mike Wall, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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That should become a standard part of the chain-of-thoughts being devised by AI.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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Similarly, Ping’s team devised a system that pauses the pH-modulating current just long enough for a graphene transistor to record accurate readings without interference.Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The actor who plays Sofia Falcone in the HBO series never went method (unlike some Batman villains), but the part required tapping into a character who has been gaslit, manipulated, and isolated from society in every way.Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 3 Jan. 2025
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The companies claimed the process was manipulated and the future of steelworkers was sacrificed to advance the president’s political agenda.Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Labeling something so personal feels almost unnatural.Ron Hart, SPIN, 10 Jan. 2025
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While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind.Erin Parker, Allure, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Even the bed—a plush, temperature-regulating masterpiece—felt like it had been engineered specifically to cradle you into the best rest of your life.Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 30 Dec. 2024
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While there is entertainment from a live DJ, the Guest House is acoustically engineered for conversation, with music layered into the ambiance.Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Those who disputed the accuracy of an account and thought their report had been corrected instead see the same false information reappear without explanation, the agency found.Kate Gibson, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2025
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Users from a diverse range of perspectives would then reach an agreement on whether content is false, Kaplan said in a blog post.Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Contrived.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrived. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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