CONNIVES Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

connives

verb

present tense third-person singular of connive

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

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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

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for connives

Verb

When new employee Theint (Nandar Myint Lwin) tells a white lie to cover for her after an unauthorized bathroom break, San Kyi’s face turns positively radiant with gratitude, while Teint merely winks in response.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 July 2026
The film, from director Susanne Bier, opens September 11, and the first teaser showed the old house that was rebuilt meticulously, as well as the two Owens sisters getting up to a whole lot of witchy stuff and some sly winks.

— Brian Welk, IndieWire, 14 Apr. 2026

Definition of winks

Verb

Plus, the Office of Science and Technology Policy plots a venture capital-like model for the scientific grant process.

— Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 23 July 2026
Capitalizing on the tide of anti-Rhaenyra sentiment rising among the peasants of King's Landing, Ormund plots to sow further unrest by paying off a band of smallfolk to brutally torture and kill members of the City Watch.

— Megan McCluskey, Time, 20 July 2026

Definition of plots

Verb

In the sketch, Washington’s announcement prompts a skeptical colonist (David) to imagine a future leader who ignores the Constitution, uses the presidency for personal gain and seeks to remain in power.

— Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
Our farmers and small businesses are already following strong safety rules — a one-size-fits-all federal ban ignores that.

— A.J. Herrington, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of ignores

Verb

Marty, who was loosely based on real-life ping-pong legend Marty Reisman, schemes his way to competitions across the globe and hustles for pocket cash.

— Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
Joy Randolph, follows a desperate gallery owner (Portman) who schemes to sell a dead man as art at Art Basel in Miami.

— Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026

Definition of schemes

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“Connives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/connives. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of connives

verb

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