Synonyms of connives

connives

verb

present tense third-person singular of connive

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

• winks
• ignores
• tolerates
• disregards
• forgives
• condones
• overlooks
• passes over
• excuses
• pardons
• shrugs off
• glosses (over)
• brushes (aside or off)
• glozes (over)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refuses
• denies
• disapproves (of)
• frowns (on or upon)
• disallows

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

• plots
• schemes
• colludes
• conspires
• contrives
• intrigues
• plans
• devises
• concocts
• manipulates
• puts up
• engineers
• machinates
• hatches
• compasses
• maneuvers
• counterplots
• cooks (up)
• designs
• maps
• brews
• shapes
• lays out
• jockeys
• frames

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of connives

Helen of Troy, whose abduction started the Trojan war, and her sister Clytemnestra, who connives to murder her husband Agamemnon. — Jim Beckerman, USA Today, 16 July 2026