conspire
verb
con·spire
kən-ˈspī(-ə)r 
conspired; conspiring
1
a
: 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
B. J. OliphantExamples 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
During his 156-day trial, prosecutors accused him of conspiring with six former Apple Daily staffers, two activists and others to request foreign forces to impose sanctions or blockades or engage in other hostile activities against Hong Kong or China.
—Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
His piece of genius separated the sides entering the 84th minute but during a chaotic finale, the hosts conspired to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
According to the criminal complaint, Wagner has escalated his opposition to ICE operations, including conspiring and threatening to assault federal law enforcement officers in Minneapolis.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
The Biden administration brought the criminal case in late 2022, when Rivera and Nuhfer were charged with conspiring to commit offenses against the United States and failing to register as foreign agents for Venezuela during the Maduro regime.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conspire
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Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
His piece of genius separated the sides entering the 84th minute but during a chaotic finale, the hosts conspired to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
According to the criminal complaint, Wagner has escalated his opposition to ICE operations, including conspiring and threatening to assault federal law enforcement officers in Minneapolis.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
The Biden administration brought the criminal case in late 2022, when Rivera and Nuhfer were charged with conspiring to commit offenses against the United States and failing to register as foreign agents for Venezuela during the Maduro regime.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conspire
Cite this Entry
“Conspire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspire. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
conspire
verb
con·spire
kən-ˈspī(ə)r
conspired; conspiring
1
: to agree secretly to do an unlawful act : plot
conspiring to overthrow the dictator
2
: to act together
delays and the weather conspired to spoil our vacation
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