invent

verb

in-ˈvent How to pronounce invent (audio)
Definition of inventnext
as in to devise
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination they invented an explanation for the broken vase that would satisfy their grandmother

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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 invent The genre gave him considerably more freedom to invent architectural settings, mixing classical ruins, waterways, and figures into elaborate imaginary landscapes. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Founded by Australian Michelle Simmons, who helped invent the single-atom transistor, Silicon Quantum Computing is one of the rare companies in its space with a commercially viable product. — Nitish Pahwa, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 Swipe-pay is vulnerable to theft because the magnetic stripe behind cards does a poor job of securing personal information, according to Scott Schober, the CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems who has invented several skimming detectors. — Juliana Kim, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026 That’s a lot, coming from the babe who invented the beloved Capri Sour. — Amanda Lee Koe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for invent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invent
  1. devise
  2. concoct
  3. construct
Verb
  • Over the following weeks, the group of roughly 15 people spoke almost daily to trace the vulnerabilities to their common source and devise a fix.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of devise
Verb
  • Yaga concocts one entertainingly heady brew, thanks to its beguiling mood and fearless cast.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
  • He was cleared of that, but then fell out with a friend who had helped concoct his alibi in the libel case, and was charged with perjury.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of concoct
Verb
  • The process was particularly intricate, as each interlacing detail on the bodice had to be carefully constructed by weaving hundreds of meters of rouleau and while maintaining the tension and precision of the corsetry underneath.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Knight said the First Baptist Church roots began in the mid-18th century, and the current building was constructed in 1846.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of construct

Browse Nearby Words

inveigling
invent
invented
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Cite this Entry

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

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