1
as in winks
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 plots
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 connives
Verb
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But when the lights go off and consciousness winks out, another, deeper process goes to work.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
8 Aug. 2025 -
The table serving as a centerpiece winks to a fashion runway.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
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Douglass’s former North Star co-editor, Martin Delany, who had been admitted to Harvard Medical School but was forced out after white students complained, responded to Dred Scott — and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 — by writing a novel whose hero escapes bondage and plots an overthrow of slavery.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Jacob plots to seduce his employers and gain an advantage from their industry connections, but unwittingly walks into a trap.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Even his handling of deportations—another key part of his election platform—has a 52 percent disapproval rating, as Americans grapple with an ICE force that eschews state regulations, ignores due process rights and acts like the president’s personal army.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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Any definition that ignores the role of processing is missing the big picture, says Mozaffarian of Tufts University.—
Maria Godoy,
NPR,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Matthew quickly schemes his way into Oliver’s orbit after that first performance, impressing and rankling the group of lackeys in his entourage at the same time.—
Eric Torres,
Pitchfork,
27 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Connives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/connives. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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