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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrives
Verb
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No one wants to give up on Erica, especially Uhura, who devises a plan to send another shuttle through the wormhole to rescue Erica.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025 -
Mary’s enterprising sister Edith (Laura Carmichael) devises a plan to invite Coward, in whose show their friend Guy Dexter (Dominic West), now secretly in a relationship with their former servant Thomas (Robert James-Collier), is appearing.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Loktev’s film chronicles the Russian government’s systematic crackdown on journalists in late 2021 and early 2022 as Vladimir Putin plots his invasion of Ukraine.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
13 Aug. 2025
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Harper is a surfer who plays by her own rules and even plots to break up her mother from her current fiancé.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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If a publisher on the platform bites, the author then negotiates a publishing deal with them.—
Elaine Pofeldt,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Its Office for Civil Rights investigates allegations at schools and negotiates corrective actions.—
Fred Clasen-Kelly,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Matthew quickly schemes his way into Oliver’s orbit after that first performance, impressing and rankling the group of lackeys in his entourage at the same time.—
Eric Torres,
Pitchfork,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Chronological Border arranges the beds in chronological order from the 16th to the 20th century.—
Jeanine Barone,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Latest section, on the other hand, arranges posts and reels in chronological order, with the most recent ones appearing first.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once concentration becomes too high, the ingenuity of entrepreneurs and developers invents a new approach to reverse it.—
Christian Catalini,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Well, after his sleep is disrupted by a cat scratching outside his apartment, Charlie invents the perfect solution.—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But outside of the ring, Christy hides and represses her lesbianism and winds up marrying her trainer Jim Martin (Ben Foster), who manipulates and physically abuses her.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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After all, if an attacker hijacks the agent’s credentials or manipulates its input data, the agent could take harmful actions faster and more persistently than any human user.—
Michael DeCesare,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Holland constructs a fragmented, kaleidoscopic portrait that blends real episodes with Kafka’s fiction and his strange afterlife as both cultural prophet and commercial brand.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
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To facilitate such a mix, Alameddine constructs The True True Story of Raja the Gullible like an accordion, bracketing it with two short chapters set in 2023 and using the space between them to take his narrator back and forth in time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Contrives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrives. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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