1
as in to ignore
to secretly sympathize with or pretend ignorance of something improper or unlawful
the principal connived at all the school absences that were recorded on the day of the city's celebration of its Super Bowl victory
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to plot
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
suspects that his coworkers are conniving to get him fired
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of connive
The actress played the conniving Abby Ewing on the CBS primetime soap opera for much of the '80s.
—
Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Through his conniving, Heathcliff comes to own both properties.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
Her excellent work goes unappreciated, except when a conniving colleague, Donovan (Xavier Samuel), takes credit for it.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
The characters here, though, are nowhere near so smart as those conniving pagans and can only dream of outwitting the sophisticated folk from the mainland, coming there with their talk of cake, and comfy chairs, and their lies.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for connive
Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Through his conniving, Heathcliff comes to own both properties.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
Her excellent work goes unappreciated, except when a conniving colleague, Donovan (Xavier Samuel), takes credit for it.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
The characters here, though, are nowhere near so smart as those conniving pagans and can only dream of outwitting the sophisticated folk from the mainland, coming there with their talk of cake, and comfy chairs, and their lies.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for connive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for connive
Verb
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The federal judge in that case ruled that a jury could find that State Farm had acted in bad faith if the plaintiffs' lawyers demonstrated that the company ignored certain kinds of hail damage.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
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In crush, puncture, and saw tests, the battery produced no smoke or flames – a safety profile that's hard to ignore.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 28,
New Atlas,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Policy favored the monsters who plot in the background, more Kissinger than Kennedy.—
Eli Durst,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Down Time is refreshingly original in its choice to plot the pandemic as a point on a timeline that extends in either direction, rather than viewing it in isolation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The overexaggerated femininity, in Linda Cho’s frosting-on-an-Easter-cake costumes, is its own winking critique.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
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Set within the cloister of Santa Maria del Carmine, just a few steps from the Aesop Brera store, the installation will wink to how the brand illuminates every skin and room by unveiling Aposē, a trio of lights designed by the brand — one of which will be produced as a limited series.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One word came up repeatedly in a federal courtroom in Kansas City, Kansas, on Wednesday as the government laid out its case in the racketeering conspiracy trial of former Boilermakers executives accused of scheming to steal $20 million in union funds.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
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Apparently, no Democrat has ever lied, failed, dodged, schemed, or face-planted.—
Larry Clifton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Connive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/connive. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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