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
Silence in the face of such horror is complicity.
—
Maryam Lieberman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
But how exactly will that happen since the ayatollahs have made sure to implicate a huge percentage of the population in complicity with their rule?
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Eli was found guilty of complicity to commit murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The statement continued that the signatories considered silence to be an act of complicity with the Iranian government’s violence.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complicity
Maryam Lieberman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
But how exactly will that happen since the ayatollahs have made sure to implicate a huge percentage of the population in complicity with their rule?
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Eli was found guilty of complicity to commit murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The statement continued that the signatories considered silence to be an act of complicity with the Iranian government’s violence.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complicity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicity
Noun
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In December, the judges ruled Lai was the mastermind of the conspiracies and never wavered in his intention to destabilize the ruling Chinese Communist Party.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The indictment document is sealed, though the Associated Press reported that Lemon is facing charges related to conspiracy and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Act.—
Erin Glynn,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Earlier versions of this technology were announced in 2018 by Qualcomm and showed how integrating advanced semiconductors can level up cars by adding collusion avoidance and emergency brake alerts.—
Noelle Harff,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
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Mohammadi had been serving 13 years and nine months on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran’s government.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 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 15 Feb. 2026.
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