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.
It could be contrived and improbable and old-fashioned in its triumphs snatched from the jaws of defeat, and I completely loved it.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
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
She was dressed as though she were going on safari, and contrived to be glamorous about it, too.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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