to concoct
49
6.0
- verb
- /kənˈkɑkt/
- He managed to concoct a convincing excuse for being late to the meeting.
- concoct a story
- concoct a plan
- concoct a plot
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Watch on YouTubeBut I could have concocted this story for my kids.
- But I could have concocted this story for my kids.
- Our brain very quickly concocts a story about what's happening.
- Trump knows these accusations of sexual misconduct are really being concocted by sinister forces.
- So they bribed politicians, they bribed journalists to basically concoct a smear campaign.
- But it turns out that it's really, really hard to concoct an actual example of graphs where that is true.
- So I'm instead the the plan that was concocted was that we would have to cross the border on foot.
- So they start to concoct a plan of a little island vacay to piss Pip off.
- That is enough information for me to concoct a brilliantly insane story to confront him about his lies.
- And he helps him concoct this plan, you know, to get revenge on like the main bully, which is this guy named Kent.
- And I thought so I sort of concocted this.
Examples
-
Gerard and I used to concoct all sorts of stories about that old secretary.
Fiction book (1996) -
Val, Earl, and Miguel gaze out at the town, trying to concoct a plan.
Fiction book (1990) -
Are you going to concoct something to justify my arrest?
-
OK, let's see if we can concoct a definition, and then we'll stick with that definition.
-
And the two of them concocted this whole scheme.
-
Our brain very quickly concocts a story about what's happening.
-
When Roderick arrives in London, he must concoct a voice with which to advance his career.
Academic text (1990) -
However, by then, I'd started concocting a little plot of my own.
-
My adventure is nothing but a comedy concocted to amuse the public.
Fiction book (1998) -
I have concocted a special formula in hopes that it will suppress Marcus's psychic abilities.
Synonyms
824
3.2
Invent a story or excuse that is not true
583
2.1
Invent a plan or idea in your mind
132
4.8
To make a secret plan to do something illegal
60
3.2
To make up an idea, plan, or excuse
53
6.3
To invent a story, excuse or piece of evidence to deceive people
52
3.2
To make up a story or excuse that is not true
46
3.9
To think of a new or unusual idea
45
7.3
To make documents or facts not true to deceive people
43
5.6
Invent a story or excuse to trick people
41
6.5
To make secret plans to do something dishonest
41
7.3
To make up false information to trick people
32
5.2
To make a plan in secret, often to surprise someone
19
8.6
To make a false story to accuse someone unfairly
2
6.8
To tell a long made-up or exaggerated story
2
4.8
Make up and tell a tale, often to entertain or avoid trouble
1
4.4
To think of a clever or secret plan to do something
1
9.9
To make up stories to fill gaps in memory
1
9.9
To make secret plans to do something bad
1
9.9
To invent a story or excuse that is not true
Make up facts with no proof, often as a weak excuse
Antonyms
Phrasal Verbs
How Inventive
Surface Forms
Morphology
concoct = con + coct
Built from the prefix 'con-' + the combining form 'coct' (meaning 'cook'), but 'coct' is not a standalone modern English word and the sense 'invent/devise' is a metaphorical extension, so learners cannot straightforwardly derive the meaning from known English bases.
Etymology
Concoct comes from the Latin parts con- 'together' and coquere 'to cook', so it originally meant 'to cook together'. A helpful way to remember the meaning 'to invent a story or excuse' is to think of 'cooking up' an idea, where you mix different things to make something new.