ad-lib

Comic actors have a sense of timing and an ability to ad-lib when the teleprompter spits out duds, as John Mulaney proved with his inspired rant about masculinity when he presented.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026

Williams was elusive and made some great ad-lib plays down the stretch, and they dominated possession, but allowing big plays cost them dearly.

From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025

What did you think when Karol G did your signature “whoa” ad-lib in the song?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2025

The speech isn’t something he can ad-lib or pull from memory, hence the notes, and he’d never use a PowerPoint presentation.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 2024

Kids wouldn’t move to the right places during rehearsals, or would ad-lib wisecracks, which Mrs. Finley didn’t think at all funny.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

Baron Samedi, a shadowy cane-wielding, top-hatted Haitian voodoo figure, slips in and out of the hubbub, with Leonardo Brito’s performance feeling more ad-libbed by the dancer than astutely choreographed by Ms. García.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025

When asked to explain the court’s “shadow docket”, she ad-libbed a hypothetical all but identical to Monday’s real decision.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2025

“I was too young to be in the Senate,” he then ad-libbed in a joke, “and too old to be the president.”

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2024

Instead of pronouncing the prayer, Francis ad-libbed his speech before the statue of the Madonna and skipped the peace prayer entirely, reciting instead a Hail Mary with young disabled people.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 6, 2023

“See, because his last name is Gruyère, which is a kind of cheese,” Owen ad-libbed.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Last time the World Cup came to these shores, in 1994, the draw was held in Las Vegas and Robin Williams stole the show by ad-libbing on stage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

And sometimes that means you need to do a little bit of rewriting, ad-libbing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2023

He then went further, ad-libbing to suggest that no other world leader would want to change places with Mr. Xi, given the scope of his recent problems.

From New York Times ● Feb. 7, 2023

He points out actors’ performances and ad-libbing, costuming, make-up and visual effects design heightening the humor; and he regrets cutting lots of stuff in scenes due to lack of final run time.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 29, 2023

Next thing I know, TJ and I are ad-libbing back and forth in harmony over the chorus.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles