to plan cleverly; to devise; to invent, to bring about by stratagem or with difficulty; to manage

Formal and Informal Expressions of contrive

In different contexts, you can replace 'contrive' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'devise, invent, formulate' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'come up with, figure out, make up' is a commonplace synonym.

contrive: Explore its Definition & Usage

contrive Definition

1to plan cleverly; to devise; to invent
2to bring about by stratagem or with difficulty; to manage

Using contrive: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "contrive" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
He contrived a way to get us all out of the building safely.
Example
She contrived to make him jealous.
Example
The author contrived a surprising ending to the story.

contrive Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for contrive

Antonyms for contrive

Phrases with contrive

contrive to do something
to succeed in doing something difficult or unexpected
Example
He contrived to escape from prison.
contrive something out of something
to make something using whatever is available
Example
She contrived a meal out of the few ingredients she had left in the kitchen.
contrive against someone
to secretly plan to harm or deceive someone
Example
He felt that his colleagues were contriving against him.

Origins of contrive

from Latin 'con-' meaning 'together' and 'trivium' meaning 'place where three roads meet'

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Summary: contrive in Brief

The verb 'contrive' [kənˈtraɪv] means to cleverly plan, devise, or invent something, or to bring about something with difficulty. It can be used in phrases like 'contrive to do something,' meaning to succeed in doing something difficult, and 'contrive something out of something,' meaning to make something using whatever is available.