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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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
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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
Colin Flint, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2024
Using a social realism that is all the more powerful for its restraint, Carreira avoids wild swings and contrived speeches, and trusts the audience to be swept up by a devastating performance of a woman being hollowed out from within by inhumane working conditions.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2024
The thing is, since o1 is only displaying a contrived chain-of-thought, this means that there is a chance now for AI hallucinations to appear in the visible chain-of-thought.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
That’s the contrived premise of J.J. Perry’s action-comedy, which even manages to throw some romance into its high-concept mix.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrived 
Adjective
While such generalizations have historically been used to demonize enemies, there is still a contrived tendency to divide the world into land and sea powers.
—Colin Flint, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2024
Using a social realism that is all the more powerful for its restraint, Carreira avoids wild swings and contrived speeches, and trusts the audience to be swept up by a devastating performance of a woman being hollowed out from within by inhumane working conditions.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2024
The thing is, since o1 is only displaying a contrived chain-of-thought, this means that there is a chance now for AI hallucinations to appear in the visible chain-of-thought.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
That’s the contrived premise of J.J. Perry’s action-comedy, which even manages to throw some romance into its high-concept mix.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrived
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrived
Adjective
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The lifelong New Yorker explained his decision to pack up for Florida in a 2019 post on the social platform X, citing taxes and his strained relationships with state and local leaders.Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
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In addition, there will need to be some serious operational improvements to remedy the company’s strained relationship with many current and former customers.Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The league's latest CBA does not include specific rules for expansion drafts, so all of this would have to be negotiated between the players' union and the team governors.Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
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The deal was negotiated between Frank Jaffe from Altered Innocence and Quentin Bohanna from mk2 Films.Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Our team spent four months building a minute-by-minute playbook, conducting two full-scale mock cutovers and stress-testing every critical system.Sidharth Ramsinghaney, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Experience mock classes led by prominent professors, explore diverse legal career paths, and receive personalized admissions guidance.Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The brand this year also devised a bold new trophy for the Louis Vuitton Cup winner that is literally centuries ahead of the staid 19th-century America’s Cup.Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2024
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This was originally devised for off-roading but can also be useful for scenarios like maneuvering in a car wash.Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
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In that case, too, the final agreement wasn’t over whether their work could ever be manipulated by AI—special effects have existed in movies for a long time, after all—but whether the creator has an informed say in it.Jenn Brice, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2024
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Are the questions and indicators that prompted a computer system creative, or is something creative when only human hands and eyes have directly manipulated it?Megan Poinski, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The video appeared to have been substantially manipulated, with unnatural facial expressions and a robotic voice, according to a CNN analysis using deepfake detector tools.Michael Conte, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024
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Just make sure to only use mold-free pumpkins that haven’t been treated with paint or other unnatural products.Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Its solid and engineered wood frame is upholstered in the neutral hue of your choice.Nora Colomer, Fox News, 4 Oct. 2024
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The drone was engineered for the maximum capability that could be easily carried by one soldier.David Hambling, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Bear in mind that his campaign was replete with false claims — about immigration, jobs, inflation, crime and more.Paul Krugman, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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Oz is the Penguin now — like everyone in Batman’s Rogues Gallery, a caricature of his own trauma, drawn to criminal means of false liberation.Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Contrived.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrived. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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