How to Use complicity in a Sentence

complicity

noun
  • There's no proof of her complicity in the murder.
  • He acted with his brother's complicity.
  • This kind of complicity is how cool is lost.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026
  • The suspect's wife has been charged with two counts of felony complicity.
    — Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, 5 Mar. 2018
  • And to those with the power to help and yet sit idly by, your silence is complicity.
    — NBC News, 18 Mar. 2021
  • That is grim enough, and the complicity of the army and police is appalling.
    — The Economist, 26 Oct. 2017
  • For many years, that moment was viewed by some critics as complicity.
    — Scottie Andrew, CNN, 16 June 2021
  • Just like Bernie, that swindler could not have done it without a big bank’s complicity.
    — Annie Nova, CNBC, 28 July 2024
  • Silence in the face of such horror is complicity.
    — Maryam Lieberman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026
  • In turn, Mlima silently marks them with white paint for their complicity in his demise.
    — Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 7 Oct. 2019
  • That's a lesser crime than the initial charges against him of complicity murder.
    — Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 9 Feb. 2018
  • Now guilty of complicity to murder, in Season 2 their main goal is just to stay alive.
    — Emiliano Granada, Variety, 25 Feb. 2022
  • To the 24 Democrats who voted to stop our complicity, thank you.
    — Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Religious hypocrisy and the complicity of the church are also key themes in the novel.
    — Jennifer Wilson, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022
  • The explorations of the varying lines of complicity don’t end there.
    — Steffan Triplett, Vulture, 14 May 2021
  • There was complicity between the city government and the mob.
    — Nora McGreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Sep. 2020
  • Eli pled guilty to complicity to commit murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
  • Eli pled guilty to complicity to commit murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 12 Nov. 2025
  • Eli was found guilty of complicity to commit murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
  • Eli was found guilty of complicity to commit murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
  • But the most recent case of complicity lies with Hochul, Boylan said.
    — Fox News, 8 Dec. 2021
  • And part of Hogan’s legacy may be his complicity in those conditions.
    — Brian Jansen, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Philpot's wife, 34-year-old Shana Philpot, faces complicity charges.
    — Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 14 June 2022
  • No false tone of healing or hope is sounded at the end; instead, the circles of complicity keep widening.
    — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 19 July 2021
  • The others are charged with complicity in the heist or the unauthorized possession of a weapon.
    — Juliette Jabkhiro, USA Today, 13 May 2025
  • Other countries are still struggling to come to terms with the complicity of their ancestors.
    — Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Of course, the show teases us, all the while, with the prospect of her complicity—if not outright guilt—in Merritt’s killing.
    — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024
  • The documentary details the depth of the denial and complicity of adults who were supposed to be in charge.
    — Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, 6 Nov. 2019
  • Michael Cohen admitted his complicity and paid the price by doing the time.
    — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 19 May 2024
  • In her view, the problem was Gordon's lack of leadership and the board's complicity.
    — The Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2024

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

Last Updated: