connive

connive

verb

Definition of CONNIVE

1

to secretly sympathize with or pretend ignorance of something improper or unlawful <the principal connived at all the school absences that were recorded on the day of the city's celebration of its Super Bowl victory>

Synonyms wink

Related Words brush (aside or off), condone, disregard, excuse, forgive, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, overlook, pardon, pass over, shrug off, tolerate

Near Antonyms disapprove (of), frown (on or upon); deny, disallow, refuse

2

to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends <suspects that his coworkers are conniving to get him fired>

Synonyms collude, compass, connive, conspire, contrive, intrigue, machinate, put up, scheme

Related Words counterplot; brew, concoct, cook (up), devise, hatch; engineer, jockey, maneuver, manipulate; design, frame, lay out, map, plan, shape