contrived; contriving
1
: to make schemes
contriver
noun
Synonyms
Examples of contrive in a Sentence
The prisoners contrived a way to escape.
He contrived a meeting with the president.
Recent Examples on the Web
In a similar, less successful vein, his overrated Drive My Car contrived an obvious update of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya.
—
Armond White, National Review, 8 May 2024
Liane drifts through various situations, some of which seem contrived to pad the journey from the assured beginning to the refreshingly different end.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for contrive 
Armond White, National Review, 8 May 2024
Liane drifts through various situations, some of which seem contrived to pad the journey from the assured beginning to the refreshingly different end.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for contrive
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contrive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near contrive
Cite this Entry
“Contrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contrive. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
contrive
verb
con·trive
kən-ˈtrīv 
contrived; contriving
1
: plan entry 2 sense 1, plot
contrive a way to escape
2
: to form or make in a skillful or clever way : invent
3
: bring about, manage
contriving to make ends meet
contriver
noun
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