to concoct
46
6.0
- verb
- /kənˈkɑkt/
:
inventar
- He managed to concoct a convincing excuse for being late to the meeting.
- concoct a story
- concoct a plan
- concoct a plot
But 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
972
3.2
Invent a story or excuse that is not true
866
2.1
Invent a plan or idea in your mind
181
3.2
To make up a story or excuse that is not true
120
4.8
To make a secret plan to do something illegal
62
6.3
To invent a story, excuse or piece of evidence to deceive people
50
7.3
To make up false information to trick people
48
3.2
To make up an idea, plan, or excuse
44
7.3
To make documents or facts not true to deceive people
38
3.9
To think of a new or unusual idea
37
5.6
Invent a story or excuse to trick people
35
5.2
To make a plan in secret, often to surprise someone
14
6.5
To make secret plans to do something dishonest
4
9.9
Make up facts with no proof, often as a weak excuse
4
8.6
To make a false story to accuse someone unfairly
1
6.8
To tell a long made-up or exaggerated story
1
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
To invent a story or excuse that is not true
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.