1. 图谋;策划;谋划
    If you contrive an event or situation, you succeed in making it happen, often by tricking someone.

    e.g. The oil companies were accused of contriving a shortage of gasoline to justify price increases.
           石油公司被控故意制造石油短缺以名正言顺地提高油价。

2. 发明;(精巧地)设计出，制造
    If you contrive something such as a device or piece of equipment, you invent and construct it in a clever or unusual way.

    e.g. We therefore had to contrive a very large black-out curtain.
           因此我们得制作一块很大的遮光窗帘。

3. 成功做到;设法做到
    If you contrive to do something difficult, you succeed in doing it.

    e.g. The orchestra contrived to produce some of its best playing for years.
           这支管弦乐队呈现了精彩的演奏，堪称其多年来的巅峰演奏。

4. (用欺骗的手法)策划，图谋，设法做到
    When someone has done something dishonestly, you can say that they have contrived to do it.

contrive的近义词

    e.g. They somehow contrived to lose tens of thousands of applications.
           他们精心策划故意遗失了数万份申请书。