1
as in Mafias
a group involved in secret or criminal activities
members of the conspiracy recognized each other by a secret handshake
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in complicities
a secret agreement or cooperation between two parties for an illegal or dishonest purpose
a conspiracy among the leading manufacturers to fix prices
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in schemes
a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends
several generals were engaged in a conspiracy to overthrow the government
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conspiracies
Set three years after the Imjin War, Kingdom sees a mysterious plague spreading throughout the Joseon Dynasty, which is sure to meddle in the various political conspiracies.
—
Sammi Burke, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
One month later, Turning Point’s flagship conference descended into recriminations over the very controversies and conspiracies that its founder had endeavored so assiduously to suppress.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Ready for more government conspiracies to unravel?
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Topping the social media conspiracies this week was the resurfacing of an Opening Day post by the NFL on X that appears to depict Drake Maye and Sam Darnold in front of 30 other players approaching an image of Levi’s Stadium, site of Super Bowl LX.
—Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
In 2024, for example, federal prosecutors in Miami charged eight Colombians with money laundering conspiracies.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
The economic summit has long attracted criticism and conspiracies for convening global celebrities, business leaders and political elite in a Swiss resort town.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
However, pro athletes earning millions of dollars a year have been accused of joining these conspiracies.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Jan. 2026
In this antic era, Lost Lambs offers an update on Pynchonesque paranoia, featuring lonely people in anonymous suburbs who get drawn into overlapping conspiracies that crisscross the map.
—Niela Orr, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
Sammi Burke, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
One month later, Turning Point’s flagship conference descended into recriminations over the very controversies and conspiracies that its founder had endeavored so assiduously to suppress.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Ready for more government conspiracies to unravel?
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Topping the social media conspiracies this week was the resurfacing of an Opening Day post by the NFL on X that appears to depict Drake Maye and Sam Darnold in front of 30 other players approaching an image of Levi’s Stadium, site of Super Bowl LX.
—Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
In 2024, for example, federal prosecutors in Miami charged eight Colombians with money laundering conspiracies.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026
The economic summit has long attracted criticism and conspiracies for convening global celebrities, business leaders and political elite in a Swiss resort town.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
However, pro athletes earning millions of dollars a year have been accused of joining these conspiracies.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Jan. 2026
In this antic era, Lost Lambs offers an update on Pynchonesque paranoia, featuring lonely people in anonymous suburbs who get drawn into overlapping conspiracies that crisscross the map.
—Niela Orr, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conspiracies
Noun
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While countries like Greece and New Zealand have opened more ways for people to obtain a golden visa, others have closed their schemes.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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Gary needs investment and development, but none of the three Bears schemes promise more than isolated cash machines.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While the public record does not include explicit names or locations, blockchain forensics firms are often able to associate addresses with certain crypto exchanges or criminal gangs.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
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The men who spoke to NBC News, as well as the families of former detainees and their attorneys, strongly denied any ties to gangs and said they were unfairly targeted because of tattoos that may be popular in Venezuela and are unrelated to Tren de Aragua.—
Gary Grumbach,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That is, the hundreds of news clippings that substantiate her plots.—
Jon Wertheim,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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Abu Assi was believed to have taken part in holding deceased hostages in captivity while directing terrorist plots against IDF troops.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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These elements are vital to electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones, medical imaging systems, fiber-optic networks, and military technologies.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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The totals announced on Tuesday included viewership from the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital and NFL+.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Even when insulted or thwarted – by Spanish intrigues on the Florida frontier, by British seizures in the Caribbean, by pamphleteers accusing him of being a monarch in disguise – Washington’s tone remained measured.—
Maurizio Valsania,
The Conversation,
9 Jan. 2026
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At 63 herself, Foster intrigues as well.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Adams put together a portfolio of his workday doodles and sent it to several newspaper syndicates.—
Chris Koseluk,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
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Outside the capital, guerrilla groups and organized crime syndicates are exploiting the power vacuum along Venezuela’s borders and in its resource-rich interior.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Thomas Pynchon’s latest novel, Shadow Ticket, set in 1932 Milwaukee, takes place in a landscape of industrial ghosts, strike-breakers, fascist sympathizers and absurdist cabals.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Dec. 2025
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With a story of secret cabals and a child born to rule, Dumont projects the nasty prejudices and bureaucratic rigors of local politics, the tangles of family allegiances, and the tender grunge of young lust into divine and diabolical clashes run from celestial and subterranean castles.—
JUSTIN CHANG,
New Yorker,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Ten clans or more gather at the end of the movie.—
Ingrid Schmidt,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
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Some of those clans have since dwindled or decamped for more populated areas.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conspiracies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conspiracies. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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