as in strained
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the contrived applause of a TV studio audience that has been told when to clap
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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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Proponents of this theory point to Kennedy's strained relationship with the CIA after the Bay of Pigs blunder, as well as differences over how the U.S. should have approached Vietnam.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Sasaki, who was 18 at the time, encountered difficulties rehabilitating a strained muscle in his right arm.—
Dylan Hernández,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Desperate for more space, the city negotiated an initial $40 million deal with the Row, still in financial straits from the pandemic.—
Luis Ferré-Sadurní,
New York Times,
23 Dec. 2024
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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
Adjective
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One person that many pay attention to is Mel Kiper, who has been a mock draft extraordinaire for decades.—
Raul A. Reyes,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
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The following scenes are set in that show and tell the ogre's story through life-size wooden puppets complete with mock strings attached to their arms.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes,
18 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 book, which was written in 1948, focuses on the consequences of totalitarianism, the government’s mass surveillance of the public and how truth and fact can be manipulated.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
3 Jan. 2025
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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
Adjective
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And a sandbar that had severed Topanga Lagoon from the Pacific Ocean had been swept away by high tides and an influx of water used for firefighting — an unnatural breach that could flush them into the surf.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2025
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Their conversation is interspersed with other footage from the series, including the trademark brutal fight scenes—complete with bones breaking in various unnatural ways.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
Ars Technica,
15 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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Of note: Your Content must not be false, defamatory, misleading or hateful, or infringe any copyright or any other third-party rights or otherwise be unlawful.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
19 Jan. 2025
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But instead of mounting a defense of free speech against a lawsuit and Trump’s accusations that the network said were false and completely without merit, Paramount is considering following the example of Disney and tech oligarchs who will line up at the inauguration like Mark Zuckerberg.—
Richard Lawler,
The Verge,
18 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Contrived.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrived. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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