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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 improvising There’s an inventiveness here that comes from the sprawl of the city — artists like myself who are constantly improvising, building their own ecosystems because nothing is handed to them. — Shelley Holcomb, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The tester isn’t just improvising mayhem; a safety standard details the tests a product must pass, and a UL mark is shorthand for surviving. — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026 Duplantis does not recommend simply turning on the camera and improvising. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026 Cancer — when practical support can become more necessary than ever — often leaves everyone improvising. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 24 Aug. 2026 Guo Degang was accused of violating public morals for improvising the lyrics to a communist party song. — Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026 Both bands share a genre-bending approach, improvising to create performances that — in theory, at least — are singular. — Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 Where is your organization creating disciplined coordination, and where is every department still improvising alone? — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 The afternoon loosens into tapas at Tapeo and whatever the pastry chefs are improvising that week at Bubó. — Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for improvising

Verb

Now, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have thwarted that tyranny even more profoundly, by devising an ultra-fast way to steer light, using light itself as the steering wheel.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026
Now Iran’s hardline leadership is devising and promoting its own strategy for continued confrontation with Washington.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of devising

Verb

As a result, Kaspersky suspects the ultimate goal was to use the infected head units to display ads and faking interactions with them to commit online ad fraud.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
Prosecutors said Clancy planned the murders before faking a suicide attempt that left her paralyzed and in a wheelchair.

— Matt Schooley, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of faking

Browse Nearby Words

improvises

improvising

improvs

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Improvising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/improvising. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of improvising

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

matriculate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes