1
as in plotting
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
conspired to replace the leader with someone more easily influenced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in cooperating
to participate or assist in a joint effort to accomplish an end
foul weather and airline foul-ups seemed to be conspiring to ruin our vacation
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 conspiring
Lai, an outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party who founded the now-defunct newspaper Apple Daily, was convicted in December of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiring with others to publish seditious articles.
—
ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
The montage named leaders including former Iranian prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh, former Bolivian president Juan Torres, and former Chilean president Salvador Allende, pairing their photos with captions accusing the CIA of conspiring to overthrow them.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 19 Apr. 2026
Matthew Madsen, 39, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit honest services fraud and remains free on bond.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
For better or for worse, the Supreme Court has clarified how — and how not — to prosecute public officials caught corruptly conspiring with favor-granting and clout-heavy players, as ComEd was during that era.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Santeiro, 63, of Miami Lakes, was found guilty in March 2022 of nine counts of healthcare fraud, including conspiring with others to bill $112 million to private insurers for detox services that were never provided or were medically unnecessary at two substance-abuse facilities in Broward County.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Gary Chan, also indicted on murder charges and various counts related to possessing, transporting or conspiring to transport explosive or destructive devices, appeared briefly before Maguire Thursday afternoon in Yolo Superior Court.
—Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
But in the midst of conspiring, Yusuf doesn't realize that the Italians killed Ivan and Andrei, as well as the cartel.
—Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, who were arrested on March 7 outside Gracie Mansion, were charged with eight crimes, including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction for the attack, federal prosecutors said.
—Alex Stambaugh, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
The montage named leaders including former Iranian prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh, former Bolivian president Juan Torres, and former Chilean president Salvador Allende, pairing their photos with captions accusing the CIA of conspiring to overthrow them.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 19 Apr. 2026
Matthew Madsen, 39, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit honest services fraud and remains free on bond.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
For better or for worse, the Supreme Court has clarified how — and how not — to prosecute public officials caught corruptly conspiring with favor-granting and clout-heavy players, as ComEd was during that era.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Santeiro, 63, of Miami Lakes, was found guilty in March 2022 of nine counts of healthcare fraud, including conspiring with others to bill $112 million to private insurers for detox services that were never provided or were medically unnecessary at two substance-abuse facilities in Broward County.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Gary Chan, also indicted on murder charges and various counts related to possessing, transporting or conspiring to transport explosive or destructive devices, appeared briefly before Maguire Thursday afternoon in Yolo Superior Court.
—Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
But in the midst of conspiring, Yusuf doesn't realize that the Italians killed Ivan and Andrei, as well as the cartel.
—Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, who were arrested on March 7 outside Gracie Mansion, were charged with eight crimes, including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction for the attack, federal prosecutors said.
—Alex Stambaugh, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conspiring
Verb
-
The process is designed to keep a president at the helm, so the president doesn’t have to worry about his own appointees plotting against him, Kalt explained.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Orbán also leaves behind a fiscal mess, which the analyst Dalibor Rohac suggests Orbán might be happy to abandon while plotting his comeback.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lach said the district has no current information of any inappropriate behavior between Buetikofer and District 86 students, but noted the district is cooperating with authorities as the investigation continues.—
Alicia Fabbre,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Iran executed two men convicted of cooperating with Israel’s Mossad intelligence service and planning attacks inside the country, the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan reported, a charge denied by the opposition group they were linked to.—
Will Clark,
NBC news,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Jennie has an extensive history of collaborating with Beats.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
-
This concept, introduced by researchers at MIT and collaborating institutions, could fundamentally change how scientists study some of the universe’s most mysterious particles.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That might seem like the kind of scandal that would cut across the political spectrum, uniting right-wing politicians who wanted to slash the aid budget with left-wing politicians who wanted aid to solve poverty.—
Hettie O'Brien,
The Dial,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Amazon nations are uniting to save it.—
Toni Odejimi,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conspiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conspiring. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
