The engineers contrived a simple pulley system to lift the heavy stone blocks without modern machinery.
工程师们设法设计了一个简单的滑轮系统，在没有现代机械的情况下举起沉重的石块。
Which choice best defines “contrive”?
A — To devise or plan cleverly; bring about artfully.. “contrive” means To devise or plan cleverly; bring about artfully..
Which word means “To devise or plan cleverly; bring about artfully.”?
D — contrive. “contrive” means To devise or plan cleverly; bring about artfully..
contrive — To devise or plan cleverly; bring about artfully.. In Chinese: 设法做到;谋划;人为造成.
contrive is pronounced //kənˈtraɪv//.
The engineers contrived a simple pulley system to lift the heavy stone blocks without modern machinery. (工程师们设法设计了一个简单的滑轮系统，在没有现代机械的情况下举起沉重的石块。)
devise, engineer, orchestrate — all close in meaning to contrive (To devise or plan cleverly; bring about artfully.).
fail, abandon — each the opposite of contrive (To devise or plan cleverly; bring about artfully.).
Yes. contrive is on the SAT Prep Difficult list — the higher-register words that decide the hard questions. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.
联想 con-trive → 绞尽脑汁想办法 → 精心谋划。