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.

They can dominate chunks of a game with their excellence and then contrive to lose that same game with their mental wobbles.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

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

Of course, if the show becomes a fantabulous success, the Netflix engineers may contrive a way to make it live again; it’s happened before.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2025

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

‘There will be no escape again, if we do not contrive it. How that is to be done cannot be guessed, but first we must overtake them.’

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien