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
Relevance
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
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 conspiracies
The photo of Kyle and Amanda leaving the reunion and laughing went viral, which also set off some conspiracies among the very normal fandom of these shows.
—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
17 June 2026
He was found guilty on seven counts, including multiple fraud and money-laundering conspiracies.
—
Camila Grigera Naón,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
And in a political climate where unsupported conspiracies about election fraud can run rampant on social media — pushed, at times, by top political leaders — some fear the slow vote count is becoming a liability.
—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Eight people were indicted for allegedly being involved in conspiracies to threaten university leaders, law enforcement officials and businesses.
—
Elaine Rojas-Castillo,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
The film references popular alien conspiracies such as Roswell and Nixon-Gleason, suggesting that there is perhaps some truth to them.
—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
The news couldn't have come at a more opportune time, as the world is seemingly on the brink of nuclear war for reasons completely unrelated to the alien conspiracies at the heart of the film.
—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
They were united by paranoia, and their quest to protect the American dream by exposing conspiracies and secrets that the powers-that-be would rather stayed hidden.
—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
Anti-Semitism is built on conspiracies and contradictions that take time for an observer to unravel.
—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
17 June 2026
He was found guilty on seven counts, including multiple fraud and money-laundering conspiracies.
—
Camila Grigera Naón,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
And in a political climate where unsupported conspiracies about election fraud can run rampant on social media — pushed, at times, by top political leaders — some fear the slow vote count is becoming a liability.
—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Eight people were indicted for allegedly being involved in conspiracies to threaten university leaders, law enforcement officials and businesses.
—
Elaine Rojas-Castillo,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
The film references popular alien conspiracies such as Roswell and Nixon-Gleason, suggesting that there is perhaps some truth to them.
—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
The news couldn't have come at a more opportune time, as the world is seemingly on the brink of nuclear war for reasons completely unrelated to the alien conspiracies at the heart of the film.
—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
They were united by paranoia, and their quest to protect the American dream by exposing conspiracies and secrets that the powers-that-be would rather stayed hidden.
—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
Anti-Semitism is built on conspiracies and contradictions that take time for an observer to unravel.
—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conspiracies
Noun
-
Armed gangs are also active in the northwest and north-central parts of the country.
-
Unlike the cat-starring books many Gen-Zers read in elementary school, this one follows a pair of rival gangs.
Noun
-
Netflix announced a second melodrama last December, about the secrets and intrigues of an elite Rio de Janeiro family, created in partnership with Amaia Produções and Conspiração, with general direction by Mauro Mendonça Filho.
-
The rich textures and thick ambiance of The Eyes of Others are pure high modernist 1960s Italian cinema, but De Sica unfurls the film’s winding intrigues with a contemporary sense of suspense, carnality, and visual boldness.
Noun
-
Federal authorities on Tuesday charged 10 Southern California defendants in a series of healthcare fraud schemes, including one case involving nearly $270 million in fraudulent Medi-Cal claims and another that allegedly defrauded Medicare out of approximately $27 million.
-
As contemporary home designs fade the visual bounds between interior and exterior, design pros are calling on lighting designers to illuminate their clients’ landscapes, with schemes that provide everything from safety to spectacle.
Noun
-
In Dublin and in later Irish protests outside asylum housing, far-right networks and online influencers used digital platforms to intensify grievances and spread anti-migrant views.
-
The collaboration comes as demand grows for photonic technologies that can support next-generation telecommunications networks, advanced sensing systems, healthcare applications, and data center infrastructure.
Noun
-
Our plots run away characters shapeshifting on the page?
-
These movies are wildly popular spectacles, even if the plots are a little thin.
Noun
-
Alongside that, South Africa’s police force has been embroiled in scandal, accused of corruption and collusion with criminal syndicates.
-
Applying terrorism designations to criminal syndicates, Brazilian officials say, conflicts with domestic legal definitions and risks blurring distinctions underpinning international counterterrorism law.
Noun
-
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.
-
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.
Noun
-
Warrior Cats is based on Erin Hunter’s feline book series that follows the adventures and drama of multiple clans of feral cats.
-
The event consists of live music, competition events such as highland dancing and sheepdog trials, food vendors and educational classes on what Scottish clans are.
Cite this Entry
“Conspiracies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conspiracies. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
