conspire

verb

con·​spire kən-ˈspī(-ə)r How to pronounce conspire (audio)
conspired; conspiring

intransitive verb

1
a
: to join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act or an act which becomes unlawful as a result of the secret agreement
accused of conspiring to overthrow the government
conspired to monopolize and restrict trade
b
: scheme
2
: to act in harmony toward a common end
Circumstances conspired to defeat his efforts.
… the sun and the wind conspired to make splinters out of solid wood.B. J. Oliphant

Examples of conspire in a Sentence

conspired to replace the leader with someone more easily influenced foul weather and airline foul-ups seemed to be conspiring to ruin our vacation
Recent Examples on the Web The resulting cycles of exposure to the greater world of skin care — not only the dermatologists who study it, but the brands that control it, and the people who crave it — have conspired to make Dr. Day a physician of some renown. Brennan Kilbane, Allure, 21 Mar. 2024 In the months since, superseding indictments alleged Menendez and his wife conspired to act as a foreign agent for Egypt and accepted expensive gifts in exchange for favorable comments about Qatar. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2024 The plaintiffs are seeking, among other things, preliminary and permanent injunctions in both counties, blocking them from continuing to enforce the in-person visitation ban, as well as a permanent ban on the companies continuing to conspire to prohibit in-person visits. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2024 Prosecutors are focusing on the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and whether Trump or his aides conspired to obstruct Congress’s certification of the election or committed fraud to block the peaceful transfer of power. Perry Stein, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Last year, a federal jury in Missouri found the NAR and two brokerages liable for $1.8 billion in damages for conspiring to keep agent commissions high. Alexis Christoforous, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2024 Last August, Berhan was charged with conspiring with other law enforcement officials to scam the cities of Antioch and Pittsburg out of incentive pay offered to cops who get college degrees. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 What follows is a consistently outrageous tour through the joys of pregnancy, touching on the things society has conspired to keep hidden: the insatiable horniness, the crippling cramps, the nasty-yet-natural biological surprises. Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 Relations between the two countries have been strained after Khan accused the U.S., Sharif and the Pakistani military of conspiring to keep him out of office, following his ouster. Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conspire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French conspirer, from Latin conspirare to be in harmony, conspire, from com- + spirare to breathe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of conspire was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near conspire

Cite this Entry

“Conspire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspire. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

conspire

verb
con·​spire kən-ˈspī(ə)r How to pronounce conspire (audio)
conspired; conspiring
1
: to agree secretly to do an unlawful act : plot
conspiring to overthrow the dictator
2
: to act together
measles and the weather conspired to spoil our vacation

Legal Definition

conspire

intransitive verb
con·​spire kən-ˈspīr How to pronounce conspire (audio)
conspired; conspiring
: to join in a conspiracy compare solicit
Etymology

Latin conspirare to be in harmony, to join in an unlawful agreement, from com- together + spirare to breathe

More from Merriam-Webster on conspire

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