conspire

verb

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con·spire | \ kən-ˈspī(-ə)r

conspired; conspiring

Definition of conspire

transitive verb

: plot, contrive

intransitive verb

1a : to join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act or an act which becomes unlawful as a result of the secret agreement accused of conspiring to overthrow the government conspired to monopolize and restrict trade

b : scheme

2 : to act in harmony toward a common end Circumstances conspired to defeat his efforts. … the sun and the wind conspired to make splinters out of solid wood.— B. J. Oliphant

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About conspire

Examples of conspire in a Sentence

conspired to replace the leader with someone more easily influenced foul weather and airline foul-ups seemed to be conspiring to ruin our vacation

Recent Examples on the Web So our locations team and our construction team had to conspire with Jim Powers, our line producer, and figure out how to get rid of that with the property owner. — Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2022 Marlene was remembering those evenings when Charlotte had gone round to conspire with the doctor in his bedsit, then come home and let herself into the flat so late, with such a guilty, heated, angry, happy face. — Tessa Hadley, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2022 The change led the seven to conspire to kill members of Mexican Mafia and the Sureños, according to the indictment. — Chron, 9 Apr. 2022 On the eve of our first full weekend of spring, all the elements, the everyday and the transient, seemed to conspire Friday to create scenes of environmental pleasure. — Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2022 Before wrapping his direct examination, the prosecutor asked Garbin if he or any of the other members were convinced by FBI informants to conspire to kidnap Whitmer. — Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2022 Some had torn anode tabs, others folded separators, but both could conspire to cause a car fire. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 5 Apr. 2022 The little pumper’s roughly 5 horsepower goes through a centrifugal clutch, the CVT and final belt drive, all of which conspire to give the Navi an off-the-line acceleration that is, um, gently progressive? — Dan Neil, WSJ, 4 Mar. 2022 The trauma of loss sets in motion a host of reactions that conspire to trigger dysregulation of body systems. — Akilah Johnson, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Nov. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conspire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.