Contrivance example sentences
Related (15): device, scheme, artifice, stratagem, plot, arrangement, mechanism, contraption, invention, ruse, trick, engineered, contrived, artificial, fabrication
"Contrivance" Example Sentences
Common Phrases
- obvious contrivance
- elaborate contrivance
- mere contrivance
- clever contrivance
- transparent contrivance
- contrivance of fate
- contrivance fell apart
- see through a contrivance
- ingenious contrivance
- contrivance of circumstance
Examples by Level
A1
- The contrivance was a simple machine made of wood and rope.
- She saw the contrivance and knew something was wrong.
A2
- The whole story felt like a contrivance — too perfect to be true.
- His excuse was a contrivance, and everyone knew it.
B1
- Looking back, the entire contrivance was obvious, but at the time we all wanted to believe it.
- The contrivance of their meeting seemed like fate, though her friends had actually arranged it.
B2
- The film's central contrivance — that they'd meet again by pure chance — was the weakest element of an otherwise compelling story.
- She'd constructed an elaborate contrivance to avoid the conversation, but it only delayed the inevitable.
C1
- The narrative's reliance on contrivance became increasingly difficult to overlook as the plot progressed toward its predetermined conclusion.
- What appeared to be serendipity was, in fact, a carefully orchestrated contrivance designed to manipulate his emotional response.
C2
- The contrivance was so expertly executed that it transcended its own artificiality, becoming something almost genuine in its very transparency.
- There exists a peculiar paradox in the most successful contrivances: they work precisely because their audience has tacitly agreed to suspend disbelief.
Examples by Scenario
🏠 Everyday Life
- My neighbor's story about why she wasn't home all day was such an obvious contrivance that I just nodded and moved on.
- The whole thing was a contrivance to get me out of the house so they could set up the surprise.
💼 Workplace
- The meeting was clearly a contrivance — management called it urgent, but it was really just an excuse to announce layoffs.
- His excuse about the delayed report was a transparent contrivance, and his boss wasn't buying it.
📊 Business
- The company's rebranding felt like a contrivance to distract from the scandal, but it actually worked.
- The marketing contrivance of a limited-time offer drove sales up by thirty percent in a single week.
🛒 Buying / Shopping
- The store's contrivance of a sale on items nobody wanted was pretty obvious, but I bought them anyway.
- That contrivance of a bundle deal seemed designed to make you spend more than you intended.
✈️ Travel
- The contrivance of a detour to the scenic route turned out to be worth it, even though it added two hours.
- The hotel's contrivance of a complimentary upgrade was clearly just a way to fill empty rooms.
📚 Education
- The teacher's contrivance of a group project was meant to teach collaboration, but it mostly taught frustration.
- The entire contrivance of the field trip was designed to make history feel less boring than it actually is.
❤️ Relationships
- When he suggested we take the long way home, I knew it was a contrivance — he was stalling before asking something important.
- The contrivance of a chance encounter at the coffee shop was actually six months of her planning.
📰 News / Politics
- The politician's contrivance of a photo opportunity with local families felt staged and desperate.
- The media's contrivance of a scandal from minor comments showed how far they'd go for a headline.
💻 Technology
- The app's contrivance of a personalized algorithm was really just showing you the same content as everyone else.
- The contrivance of AI-generated recommendations was surprisingly effective at getting people to click.
📝 Formal Writing
- The study's reliance on the contrivance of a control group raised questions about the validity of its conclusions.
- The author's use of contrivance in the narrative structure undermined the otherwise rigorous analysis.