CONNIVING Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

conniving 1 of 2

noun

as in connivance

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conniving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of connive

as in winking

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in plotting

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

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 conniving

Noun

The problem was Grossbart, whose conniving seemed to corroborate the worst stereotypes about the Jewish people — and so soon after the Shoah. — Andrew Ridker, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025

Verb

Gizelle, who has been stirring the pot and playing producer for everyone on the trip, keeps up her conniving ways by sitting down all the RHOP ladies except for Candiace during their Potomac retrospective moment at the party. — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026 The conniving Cardinal Richelieu is the central villain in this 1993 action/comedy adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ classic 1844 novel. — ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026 Locklear played the conniving Amanda Woodward from 1993 through the end of the series’ seven-season run, earning four Golden Globe nominations in the process. — Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Aug. 2026 Also, the conniving acts of communication and coordination don’t have to work in real-time. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 No dragons, of course, but plenty of political conniving, clashing swords and last-minute escapes. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 Their rivals were a candid, impudent pair, the schoolgirlish Shakira and a throaty American bottle-service girl named Toni, both incapable of conniving their way into romance, prone to heartbreak, and swiftly ostracized for their overt judgment of other islanders. — Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 27 June 2026 Daemon is one of the most clever, cunning and conniving characters in House of the Dragon, who always seems to have the upper hand. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026 Jackson is depicted as conniving and quick to use his wealth and fame to overwhelm the family. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for conniving

Noun

There was no moon that evening, a detail, Shawn’s mother would later say, when arguing with his father about whether the man was dangerous or not, that was clearly not a coincidence, and showed careful consideration and connivance on his part.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Or was the whole thing a connivance and Mitzi Blinkhorn always destined to win, thanks to some Machiavellian manipulation behind the scenes?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of connivance

Verb

Fresh silhouettes in pale pink, sky blue, khaki and white were cut in crisp cotton, winking to the daywear summer occasions of the Sa Su Phi customers who juggle between board meetings, art gallery openings and a garden parties.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
The production’s winking tone blunts some of the original’s tear-jerking climax, yet its intact happy ending offers a surprisingly comforting vision of survival in an age of constant crises.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of winking

Verb

Her character has a romantic tension with Dennison, and despite plotting an affair, the pair only flirt and never act on it.

— Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
With the children’s television landscape evolving from the bright sitcom-style of Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows, a veteran director of the genre is plotting his own course, while still working in the children’s entertainment space.

— Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of plotting

Noun

During the Senate hearing, Dan Meyer, a Vice President of Pierce Manufacturing, was asked about allegations of collusion among the makers of fire apparatus.

— Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
In Japan, this has meant not only a great deal of collusion between yakuza gangs and law enforcement but also considerable overlap between crime and politics—especially, though not exclusively, right-wing politics.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of collusion

Verb

Isaac Gonzalez, a traffic safety advocate and founder of Slow Down Sacramento, said roads like Valley Hi Drive were built wide and open, which can lead to drivers ignoring speed limits.

— Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Republicans stripped away key delaying tactics in recent years by ending the filibuster in 2017 and ignoring the Judiciary Committee’s quorum rules in 2020.

— The Conversation, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignoring

Verb

Of the four-person ensemble, I was most intrigued by Rachna Khatau, the wild card of the group whose roles are the most slyly scheming and unpredictable.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
However, as Pamela Colloff reveals in her taut and engrossing investigation, a scheming jailhouse snitch’s testimony was largely responsible for putting Dailey on death row for decades.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of scheming

Noun

Though Antoine was arrested in April 2025 after being accused of several crimes, including financing criminal organizations and complicity in murder and criminal association, he was released about a month later.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
The project is envisioned as a choose-your-own-adventure experience that places audiences inside Sunshine’s world, expanding the film’s questions around agency, complicity, and choice beyond the screen.

— Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of complicity

Noun

Saujet developed its brand strategy and creative expression in partnership with Studio ALIFFI, founded by former chief brand officer of Neiman Marcus Nabil Aliffi.

— Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
This work evidences both a moral courage and brash authority on Simon’s part and speaks to the deep ethical complexity of her concerns and strategies as an artist.

— Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of strategy

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Style

“Conniving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conniving. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of conniving

noun

verb

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