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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of complicity
Investigators are examining suspicions of bribery involving a foreign public official and complicity which concerns former French diplomat Fabrice Aidan.
—
ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Joe Biden’s efforts to be the most pro-labor president in history didn’t spare him the wrath of young Starbucks employees who accused him of complicity in genocide.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
He was sentenced in January 2024 to 25 years, following his guilty plea to counts including complicity to murder.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2026
According to analysts, the growth of scam states has been rapid and systemic, driven by sophisticated technology, weak law enforcement, and political tolerance or complicity.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complicity
ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Joe Biden’s efforts to be the most pro-labor president in history didn’t spare him the wrath of young Starbucks employees who accused him of complicity in genocide.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
He was sentenced in January 2024 to 25 years, following his guilty plea to counts including complicity to murder.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2026
According to analysts, the growth of scam states has been rapid and systemic, driven by sophisticated technology, weak law enforcement, and political tolerance or complicity.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complicity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicity
Noun
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Where did the specific antisemitism conspiracy about Ferguson originate from?—
Howard Libit,
Baltimore Sun,
3 May 2026
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The governor faces federal charges, including narcotics importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices, along with another conspiracy count.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
Noun
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French media giant Canal+ is facing an early test in Africa after its $2 billion acquisition of MultiChoice, with the South African pay TV group preparing to face antitrust regulators over decade-old allegations of collusion.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
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On April 28, Jordan went a step further, issuing letters accusing Burger, the Environmental Law Institute and Sher Edling of bias, conspiracy and collusion.—
Abrahm Lustgarten,
ProPublica,
2 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 10 May. 2026.
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