1
as in winked
to secretly sympathize with or pretend ignorance of something improper or unlawful
the principal connived at all the school absences that were recorded on the day of the city's celebration of its Super Bowl victory
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plotted
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
suspects that his coworkers are conniving to get him fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for connived
Verb
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Stayton then reportedly winked and told the protester they'd be charged with a felony.—
Jolene Almendarez,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Nov. 2025 -
Farther up, on Observatory Hill, tall cryptomeria trees were silhouetted in the darkening evening, and down in the valleys, lights winked on like reflections of the planets and stars appearing in the sky.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But in wrapping up a six-month investigation last month, independent counsel Cho’s team concluded that Yoon plotted for over a year to impose martial law to eliminate his political rivals and monopolize power.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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Investigators determined that Melton and the younger Austin plotted to kill the 55-year-old victim and took the pair into custody six days later.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ramírez, who was supposed to be studying chemistry and physics, ignored such strictures.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
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The supermassive black hole’s forces are unfathomably strong, but the influences of the giant galaxy cluster around it can’t be ignored either.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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McDaniels schemed a few targets that had receivers open but nonetheless fell incomplete (DeMario Douglas' drop in the third quarter, and an incompletion sailed wide to Rhamondre Stevenson in the second quarter).—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
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While in federal prison, a father and son schemed to sell and ship drugs to North Carolina.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
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“Connived.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/connived. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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