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
But having begun collaborating with Gran Tierra in 2019, the foundation has now been accused of complicity in sportswashing — using football to redirect attention away from unethical activity.
—
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The book beautifully captures the delicate line between love and hate, between victimhood and complicity.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
Something is going on in 2026 where a left-wing party that finds political support, in part, by expressing opposition to what Israel is doing, and the complicity of Western countries in what Israel is doing, is also going to attract people who are posting this kind of stuff.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
The Committee for the First Amendment is a group of artists and storytellers standing together to defend free expression against government repression and industry complicity, launched in October with a statement from Fonda and more than 550 supporters from across Hollywood.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for complicity
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The book beautifully captures the delicate line between love and hate, between victimhood and complicity.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
Something is going on in 2026 where a left-wing party that finds political support, in part, by expressing opposition to what Israel is doing, and the complicity of Western countries in what Israel is doing, is also going to attract people who are posting this kind of stuff.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
The Committee for the First Amendment is a group of artists and storytellers standing together to defend free expression against government repression and industry complicity, launched in October with a statement from Fonda and more than 550 supporters from across Hollywood.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for complicity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicity
Noun
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Karen Read filed her lawsuit against Canton and the MSP not only to reveal shockingly obscene and racist text messages between key cops investigating her — but also to relitigate the defense theory of conspiracy to frame her.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
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Aliens on the loose, serial killer investigations, family conspiracies, abusive cults, and robots gone rogue are just a few scenarios guaranteed to grab your attention and spike your blood pressure…and they all can be found on the list below.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Noun
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One way to break the collusion, and perhaps the best way, is to make sure that every citizen has a working knowledge of the working days of his hardest-working fellows.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
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Bid rigging and collusion among contractors can also become an issue.—
Meily Perez,
Miami Herald,
22 May 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 9 Jun. 2026.
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