collude

verb

col·​lude kə-ˈlüd 

colluded; colluding; colludes

intransitive verb

: to work together secretly especially in order to do something illegal or dishonest : conspire, plot

It was arithmetically possible, too, for a handful of senators … to collude with the president to approve a treaty betraying some vital interest to a foreign power.

—Jack N. Rakove

… the travails of the world's two biggest art-auction businesses, … rivals that now stand accused by the U.S. Justice Department of colluding to rig the auction market by fixing their sales-commission rates.

—Robert Hughes

… argues that while the kids are not entitled to collective representation, major universities are permitted to collude to prevent players from being paid for their work.

—David Sirota

Did you know?

Collude Has Latin Roots

The Latin prefix col-, meaning "together," and the verb ludere, "to play," come together to form collude. The related noun collusion has the specific meaning "secret agreement or cooperation." Despite their playful history, collude and collusion have always suggested deceit or trickery rather than good-natured fun.

Synonyms

• compass
• connive
• conspire
• contrive
• intrigue
• machinate
• plot
• put up
• scheme

Examples of collude in a Sentence

The two companies had colluded to fix prices.

accused of colluding to block the sale of the vacant land

Recent Examples on the Web

Kim has increasingly lashed out at South Korea this year, accusing Seoul of colluding with Washington to seek the collapse of his regime, and has pushed for a clear break with decades of policy engagement with the South, including the scrapping of unification as a goal. —Reuters, NBC News, 18 Oct. 2024

But part of it may be due to corporate landlords colluding with one another, according to Stoller. —Byalena Botros, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2024

The debate has dredged up the contentious history of how Dutch police and security services colluded with German invaders by handing over lists of radical and left-leaning political opponents. —The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 24 Sep. 2024

With the platform still at war with advertisers who Musk claims colluded to boycott his platform, further reduction to revenue potential will be unwelcome. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin colludere, from com- + ludere to play, from ludus game — more at ludicrous

First Known Use

1525, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Legal Definition

collude

intransitive verb

col·​lude kə-ˈlüd 

colluded; colluding

: to agree or cooperate secretly for a fraudulent or otherwise illegal purpose