as in synods
formal
a private or secret meeting or group
a conclave of bishops
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Recent Examples of conclaves
In 16th-century Italy, gamblers could wager on the election of civic magistrates and the outcome of papal conclaves.
—
Parker Bach, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Behind the large wooden door, its frescoed walls closed to the general public reveal details of the compound's dramatic history, including papal conclaves and the Inquisition interrogation of Galileo Galilei.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Parker Bach, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Behind the large wooden door, its frescoed walls closed to the general public reveal details of the compound's dramatic history, including papal conclaves and the Inquisition interrogation of Galileo Galilei.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conclaves
Noun
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The parks report was launched, in part, by what Fisher and a UC Irvine public health expert, Jason Douglas, heard during meetings with people who live near the parks in South Los Angeles.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
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Children are welcome at the Adult Learners Club’s meetings and provided with games and movies to entertain them while their parents get down to business.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And the gatherings staged at the branches around the county are wide-ranging — from veterans meetings at the Chickasaw branch and a chess club in Winter Garden to acrylic painting in Eatonville and family board games Saturdays at the southeast branch, north of the airport.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
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Their parents, Maury and Christine Paden, first opened Massés as a billiards hall and sports bar in 1994, turning it into the go-to place for nachos, wings, family- and late-night gatherings and viewing parties for all kinds of sports.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada have traditionally been among the first states to hold presidential primaries or caucuses, although neither party has set its formal presidential primary and caucus calendar yet.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
That burden, along with the conventions of the true-crime genre, not to mention that of theater in service of a political point, sometimes hampers the interpretive space of the actors and the creative team, who have to spend a lot of their time getting the facts and the history across.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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Business travel and conventions haven’t returned to pre-COVID levels, and many hotels in Connecticut cities have struggled.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conclaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conclaves. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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