colluded; colluding; colludes
: 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
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
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
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.
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
But such pledges run the dual risk of unenthusiastic lawyers who collude with their opponents or the stifling of the fundamental freedom of lawyers to choose their causes.
—The Editors, National Review, 7 Apr. 2025
In early March, the defendants were all found guilty in what has become a larger effort to expose and punish those who collude with Moscow.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2025
The Justice Department, however, is also reportedly investigating whether major egg producers are colluding to increase prices while using the bird flu situation as a cover.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 18 Mar. 2025
The Department of Justice has reportedly launched an investigation into the sharp rise in egg prices, examining whether major producers colluded to inflate costs or restrict supply.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collude
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The Editors, National Review, 7 Apr. 2025
In early March, the defendants were all found guilty in what has become a larger effort to expose and punish those who collude with Moscow.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2025
The Justice Department, however, is also reportedly investigating whether major egg producers are colluding to increase prices while using the bird flu situation as a cover.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 18 Mar. 2025
The Department of Justice has reportedly launched an investigation into the sharp rise in egg prices, examining whether major producers colluded to inflate costs or restrict supply.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collude
Cite this Entry
“Collude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collude. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
collude
intransitive verb
col·lude
kə-ˈlüd 
colluded; colluding
: to agree or cooperate secretly for a fraudulent or otherwise illegal purpose
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