as in conspiracy
a secret agreement or cooperation between two parties for an illegal or dishonest purpose
the two major auction houses acting in complicity to drive up the prices of art works
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Recent Examples of complicity
Kraszyk and Lupton declined to comment on Fleming’s conduct and their alleged complicity.
—
Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
The Israeli army killed Hind Rajab; killed her family; killed the two paramedics who came to save her, with the complicity of the world’s most powerful governments and institutions refuse to let their deaths become a backdrop for a polite speech about peace.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026
The work ultimately was not about murder or church burning or Satanic panic, but about complicity, reflecting Ruch’s role as the accomplice back onto the viewer.
—Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
That is partly out of knee-jerk complicity with the culture of leadership and celebrity worship.
—Aleksandar Hemon, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complicity
Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
The Israeli army killed Hind Rajab; killed her family; killed the two paramedics who came to save her, with the complicity of the world’s most powerful governments and institutions refuse to let their deaths become a backdrop for a polite speech about peace.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026
The work ultimately was not about murder or church burning or Satanic panic, but about complicity, reflecting Ruch’s role as the accomplice back onto the viewer.
—Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
That is partly out of knee-jerk complicity with the culture of leadership and celebrity worship.
—Aleksandar Hemon, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complicity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicity
Noun
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They were each initially charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of publicly disclosing the personal information of a federal agent.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
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Federal prosecutors soon indicted the women on charges of conspiracy and disclosing the personal information of a federal agent, which is effectively a federal anti-doxing statute.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Howell also drew criticism for agreeing to a confidentiality agreement with the NFL to conceal the ruling of a collusion grievance the union had filed against the league.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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In January, Michigan sued major oil companies, including ExxonMobil and BP, accusing them of collusion related to fossil fuels and climate change.—
Taylor Millard,
Boston Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Individuals and groups have often accused the U.S. government of denying their rights, and some of those accusations were irrefutable—as in the century between Appomattox and Selma, when the rights of Black Americans were denied throughout the South with the connivance of Washington.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
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But widespread disgust with the mayor’s mendacity and the connivance of eight City Council members is changing the political landscape.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Complicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicity. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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