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contrive to — to manage to do something despite difficulties; to succeed in achieving something through effort or skill

Part of speech: VERB

Definition: to manage to do something despite difficulties; to succeed in achieving something through effort or skill

Pronunciation (IPA): /kənˈtraɪv tu/

Example Sentences

  • He contrived to lose his homework exactly when his dog learned to eat paper.
  • Despite having no cooking skills, she contrived to make a perfect dinner for her boss.
  • The students contrived to turn in their group project even though they met for the first time that morning.

contrive to

VERB

[/kənˈtraɪv tu/]

to manage to do something despite difficulties; to succeed in achieving something through effort or skill

a resourceful mechanic uses improvised tools and spare parts to repair a badly damaged bicycle. She cleverly combines a wire coat hanger, duct tape, and parts from other broken bikes to fix the chain and wheels. Despite having only basic tools and mismatched components, she manages to get the bicycle working again. The repaired bike now stands upright and functional, though it looks pieced together with creative solutions. A satisfied customer watches nearby as she successfully demonstrates that the unconventional repair actually works.  managing to achieve something difficult through effort and creative skill
💡 Concept

a resourceful mechanic uses improvised tools and spare parts to repair a badly damaged bicycle. She cleverly combines a wire coat hanger, duct tape, and parts from other broken bikes to fix the chain and wheels. Despite having only basic tools and mismatched components, she manages to get the bicycle working again. The repaired bike now stands upright and functional, though it looks pieced together with creative solutions. A satisfied customer watches nearby as she successfully demonstrates that the unconventional repair actually works. managing to achieve something difficult through effort and creative skill

Contrive to survive, then learn to thrive!
🎵 Rhyme

Contrive to survive, then learn to thrive!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/kənˈtraɪv tu/
🇬🇧 UK/kənˈtraɪv tu/

🌳Etymology

Prefixcon--
Roottrive

Origin

From Latin, derived from the concept of 'finding together.' The word evolved from its original sense of gathering or combining methods to seek a solution, developing into the meaning 'to devise' or 'to scheme.' This reflects the image of assembling various approaches to discover a resolution.

Breakdown

con- (together) + trovare (to find). The prefix con- indicates a collective or combined action, while trovare, from Latin, means 'to find' or 'to discover.'

🎵Rhyme

arrive
derive
survive
drive
thrive

🔗Collocations

contrive to escape
contrive to survive
contrive to avoid
contrive to meet
somehow contrive to
always contrive to

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“He contrived to lose his homework exactly when his dog learned to eat paper.”

“Despite having no cooking skills, she contrived to make a perfect dinner for her boss.”

😄 Fun example

“The students contrived to turn in their group project even though they met for the first time that morning.”

“The company contrived to meet the deadline by working around the clock.”

📚Related Words

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