1
as in winks
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 plots
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
suspects that his coworkers are conniving to get him fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for connives
Verb
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The hotel itself is a rhapsody in clean, modern design that subtly winks to the legion efforts behind it.—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Jan. 2026
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But when the lights go off and consciousness winks out, another, deeper process goes to work.—
Verb
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Thus begins a thorny relationship in which Jules plots vengeance, though their dynamic soon takes a fascinating turn.—
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Bad Santa follows an alcoholic scammer named Willie (Thornton) who poses as a mall Santa and plots to rob the stores on Christmas Eve with his sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox).—
Verb
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In episode six, Max and Holly find the memory that Henry has been hiding from, and while Max kind of ignores it, Holly hangs back and watches how Henry is affected by having killed that man.—
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That demand ignores long-standing practice, misunderstands the Bears’ legal obligations and risks undermining one of Illinois’ most important economic assets.—
Verb
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Chalamet embodies Marty’s arrant showmanship with an evident joy in performance, exactly as Marty himself schemes not only shamelessly but jubilantly.—
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Matthew quickly schemes his way into Oliver’s orbit after that first performance, impressing and rankling the group of lackeys in his entourage at the same time.—
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Cite this Entry
“Connives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/connives. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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