contrived

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.

Cooling their heels in a Venetian jail in 1755, Giacomo Casanova and the prisoner in the cell above him contrived one of the more imaginative escapes in the annals of criminology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

He Gets Us has been running these strange, Jesus-themed commercials for multiple Super Bowls in a row now, and they’re only getting more contrived.

From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026

Guardiola must still be furious and frustrated at how City were so much in command at half-time with a two-goal advantage, yet somehow contrived to cast aside two points and almost lose all three.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

But Ali Larijani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on Saturday: "Contrary to the hype of the contrived media war, structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing."

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

While he had fewer tattoos than his companion, they were more elaborate—not the self-inflicted work of an amateur but epics of the art contrived by Honolulu and Yokohama masters.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote