IMPROVISING Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

improvising

verb

present participle of improvise

as in devising

to perform, make, or do without preparation since the award was a complete surprise, I improvised an acceptance speech

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of improvising Governors and county boards are improvising, from moratoriums to new permitting rules, because Washington has no framework, even as the industry asks for one. — Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 Faux freckles grew into a beauty trend as freckles shifted from a feature often concealed to one people deliberately recreate, often improvising with everyday makeup like brow pencils and eyeliner before dedicated products arrived. — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026 Props to the whole team for trying to get the sketch back on track, and for Day improvising a small admonishment within the scene. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2026 Various improvising artists have been offering up interpretations of Bob Dylan since the ‘60s, often with mixed results. — Bret Saunders, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026 But across Gaza, students and teachers are improvising with what is left, still driven by the promise of education. — Ghada Abdulfattah, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026 Few can tell you how old the newest thing in it is or what the team has been improvising in the meantime. — Snehal Nimje, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Is there a lot of improvising in the show, or does that just come out every once in a while? — Lisa De Los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026 Whether the actor is improvising or sticking closely to the script by Miles Hubley and Tommy White, Wilson’s talent and experience maintain the charm of a character who practically talks nonstop but in other hands could simply be obnoxious. — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvising

Verb

With her knack for devising novel solutions to seemingly insoluble problems, no one was better suited for the job.

— Dean Robbins, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Mungiu may have a less sadistic streak and a more active camera, but the two filmmakers share a particular commitment to narrative indeterminacy, devising intricate yet incomplete crime-story plots that function broadly as sociopolitical allegories.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of devising

Verb

The mission involved faking a plane crash and planting documents on a dead body, convincing Hitler to move thousands of troops.

— Courtney Cole, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Harry and Meghan appear more interested in faking the image of royalty than embracing its purpose.

— Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of faking

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improvises

improvising

improvs

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“Improvising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvising. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of improvising

verb

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