contrive
verb (used with object)
to plan with ingenuity; devise; invent.
contrives
-
present tense formof contrive (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
So even if the U.S. somehow contrives to lose to Paraguay, draw with Australia, and lose to Turkey, for example, it’s highly likely they’ll get into the Round of 16.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
With the younger son taking over as jailer, this goes on for a century, until Dream contrives to escape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2022
Lethem’s plot contrives for have Journeyman ride out the end of the world in a Maine idyll where people are both well-off and self-sufficient—a rarity in modern life.
From Slate ● Mar. 18, 2021
He contrives to rescue her and the others and bundle the whole lot of them off to sea, where the ballet ends somewhat as it began, give or take a few adventures.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 18, 2019
Technical proofs are the arguments that the orator contrives.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
