as in synod
formal
a private or secret meeting or group
a conclave of bishops
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Recent Examples of conclave
Since his election at the papal conclave in May, the American pontiff's tenure has largely been shaped by commitments inherited from Francis, including the major events of the 2025 Holy Year.
—
Anna Matranga, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Eight months later, John Paul II died, and the papal conclave elected as his successor Joseph Ratzinger, who took the name Benedict XVI; Bergoglio, who at the time was thought to be a conservative, was the runner-up.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
After Pope Francis’ death, AFP photographer Jeff Pachoud was on assignment covering the funeral and the reactions in Saint Peter’s Square during the conclave that would choose his successor.
—Time Photo Department, Time, 23 Dec. 2025
Three months later, Walker was filling her photo book with pictures from the trip and spotted an image of a cardinal being interviewed near her, apparently on his way into the conclave.
—Todd Harmonson, Oc Register, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conclave
Anna Matranga, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Eight months later, John Paul II died, and the papal conclave elected as his successor Joseph Ratzinger, who took the name Benedict XVI; Bergoglio, who at the time was thought to be a conservative, was the runner-up.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
After Pope Francis’ death, AFP photographer Jeff Pachoud was on assignment covering the funeral and the reactions in Saint Peter’s Square during the conclave that would choose his successor.
—Time Photo Department, Time, 23 Dec. 2025
Three months later, Walker was filling her photo book with pictures from the trip and spotted an image of a cardinal being interviewed near her, apparently on his way into the conclave.
—Todd Harmonson, Oc Register, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conclave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conclave
Noun
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Casey said the synod, the first in the 19-county archdiocese since 1971, will be designed to give all Catholics an opportunity to weigh in on issues that are important to them.—
Dan Horn,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
28 Jan. 2026
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In July, its members voted to keep the church open and hand its administration over to the synod, which will make decisions about its future.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The meeting is expected to yield limited breakthroughs though, with both sides seeking to maintain the stability that has characterized the bilateral relations since late last year.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with those claims at a White House meeting last year that underlined the strained relationship.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Host Dominican Republic, pressured by the White House, had barred Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from attending the regional gathering.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
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OpenAI will now supply its technology to the military for use in classified settings, the sorts that may involve wartime decisions and intelligence-gathering—an agreement, many legal experts told me, that could give the government wide-ranging powers.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But morale inside the House Republican caucus has been depressed, with Democrats − who need to pick up a net total of three seats to hold a majority in the lower chamber of Congress − looking likely to gain control of the House after the November elections.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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There is no good government caucus.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Given these conventions, the markings visible on the bomb have led to speculation that the JDAM shown in the images could be configured with an incendiary-type payload rather than a standard high-explosive filling.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
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For example, Allan Sekula did this photo essay about how a political convention really is in tension with what happens with the maquiladoras (factories) in Baja California, but also with commerce in the Pacific.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conclave. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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