contrive

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The members must contrive to pay the new guy off, which means redeeming the deadbeat’s paper.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

As Mariko, Sawai, recently seen in “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” is the picture of melancholic resolve, and the filmmakers contrive to highlight her otherworldly beauty, filling the screen with her face at every opportunity.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2024

One of the first things McCartney did when he took over the Buffs in 1982 was contrive a rivalry with Nebraska and ban red in the football building.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 6, 2023

First, undercover officers contrive a situation to cross paths with the target of an investigation.

From New York Times • Apr. 9, 2023

They felt that Odysseus had deserved better at their hands and Zeus spoke for them all when he said they must put their heads together and contrive a way for him to return.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton