improvise
/ˈɪmpɹəvaɪz/verb
To create or perform something on the spot, relying on instinct and imagination instead of a prepared plan.
Example sentences
- “The actors forgot their lines and had to improvise.”
- “The jazz pianist improvised a solo that lasted almost ten minutes.”
Jazz and theater made this word famous, but it also covers making do with what is at hand: 'we improvised a shelter'.