concoct

verb

con·​coct kən-ˈkäkt How to pronounce concoct (audio)
kän-
concocted; concocting; concocts

transitive verb

1
: to prepare by combining raw materials
concoct a recipe
concocted a tropical fruit smoothie
2
: devise, fabricate
concoct an explanation
concocted a strategy to take control of the company
concocter noun
concoctive adjective

Examples of concoct in a Sentence

The drink was first concocted by a bartender in New York. She concocted a stew from the leftovers.
Recent Examples on the Web At a lab in the New York City neighborhood known as Hell’s Kitchen, a palm oil substitute is concocted. Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Barn Red Years ago, Southern farmers concocted a mixture of orange-colored linseed oil and rust to protect wooden barns from the elements. Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2024 However, defense attorneys reportedly argued that Kayla concocted a story that pinned the blame on her husband. Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 The stacks of instruments peppered across the apartment were being repaired in an ambitious — and hopefully affordable — effort to concoct fresh sounds for their next record. Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2024 Or did Texas socialite Margaret Sames concoct the drink during a house party in Mexico in 1948? Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024 The mind may concoct heart wrenching scenarios in which the breakup never happened, or where there’s still a chance to salvage the relationship. Mark Travers, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 For a refresher, asset forfeiture was concocted during the Reagan-era anti-drug panic. Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 16 Feb. 2024 To protect their businesses from facing competition, the European Union and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have concocted an international tax cartel to weaken America’s most successful international businesses. Adam N. Michel, National Review, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concoct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin concoctus, past participle of concoquere to cook together, from com- + coquere to cook — more at cook

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of concoct was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near concoct

Cite this Entry

“Concoct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concoct. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

concoct

verb
con·​coct kən-ˈkäkt How to pronounce concoct (audio)
kän-
1
: to prepare by combining various ingredients
concoct a stew
2
: to think up : invent
concoct a likely story
concoction noun

More from Merriam-Webster on concoct

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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