1
2
as in complicity
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 scheme
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 conspiracy
Martinez Flores' indictment alleges his involvement in an international drug distribution conspiracy via the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more intended for distribution in the United States.
—
Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Two others who were charged in the case pleaded guilty in March to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of embezzlement from a labor organization.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2026
Much of it is familiar, echoing the conspiracies of the COVID pandemic, such as false claims about the drug ivermectin being known to effectively treat the infection and vaccines causing the outbreak.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 15 May 2026
The 49ers’ practice facility conspiracy wasn’t safe, either.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for conspiracy
Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Two others who were charged in the case pleaded guilty in March to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of embezzlement from a labor organization.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2026
Much of it is familiar, echoing the conspiracies of the COVID pandemic, such as false claims about the drug ivermectin being known to effectively treat the infection and vaccines causing the outbreak.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 15 May 2026
The 49ers’ practice facility conspiracy wasn’t safe, either.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for conspiracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conspiracy
Noun
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The series follows the Black Mafia Family in Detroit and is based on a true story.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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On the surface, the crime drama follows the rise and fall of the Black Mafia Family — one of the most influential crime families in the country.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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This is complicity spurred on by a certain kind of Western readers desire to maintain their romantic image of Russia’s past without having to engage critical with Russia’s present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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Accusations of complicity with pariah states and counteraccusations of censorship flared during the festival’s early days.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
Noun
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Scott said Williamson never spoke directly with Becerra about the scheme.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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Quantum threats target the mathematical structure of encryption schemes like RSA and ECC; vaulted tokenization removes that target by decoupling data from its representation.—
Ed Leavens,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Hospitals that haven’t been looted, burned or shuttered are dealing with limited budgets and the tightening grip of armed gangs.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
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But according to federal officials, the Punjabi Devils were an outlaw gang with ties to the Hells Angels, whose members often wore patches with an outline of Punjab, a region that includes northern India and central eastern Pakistan, and a turbaned skull.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Pro-democracy advocate Lai, founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, was convicted in December for collusion with foreign forces, endangering national security, and conspiracy to publish seditious materials.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
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French media giant Canal+ is facing an early test in Africa after its $2 billion acquisition of MultiChoice, with the South African pay TV group preparing to face antitrust regulators over decade-old allegations of collusion.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
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The film eliminated even a gesture toward a plot while showing solitary nonprofessional and real-life ranch-hand Misael Saavedra chopping and hauling logs in the Argentinian hinterlands (in actuality, Alonso’s family’s ranch).—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
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One of the movie’s core plot points revolves around the tensions that cropped up during the planning of the Jacksons’ Victory Tour in 1984, where the adult Michael reunited with all of his brothers in the Jackson family.—
Jemele Hill,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
Noun
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The new report describes a sprawling transnational criminal system in which Brazilian syndicates, Colombian guerrilla dissidents, Ecuadorian gangs and local crime families collaborate and compete simultaneously while moving drugs, gold, weapons and money across porous borders.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
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The syndicate desks engineered the pop by only offering a sliver of stock.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
3 May 2026
Noun
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Individuals and groups have often accused the U.S. government of denying their rights, and some of those accusations were irrefutable—as in the century between Appomattox and Selma, when the rights of Black Americans were denied throughout the South with the connivance of Washington.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
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But widespread disgust with the mayor’s mendacity and the connivance of eight City Council members is changing the political landscape.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Conspiracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conspiracy. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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