CONNIVE Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

connive

verb

kə-ˈnīv

Definition of connive

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of connive Also, the conniving acts of communication and coordination don’t have to work in real-time. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Helen of Troy, whose abduction started the Trojan war, and her sister Clytemnestra, who connives to murder her husband Agamemnon. — Jim Beckerman, USA Today, 16 July 2026 Their rivals were a candid, impudent pair, the schoolgirlish Shakira and a throaty American bottle-service girl named Toni, both incapable of conniving their way into romance, prone to heartbreak, and swiftly ostracized for their overt judgment of other islanders. — Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 27 June 2026 Daemon is one of the most clever, cunning and conniving characters in House of the Dragon, who always seems to have the upper hand. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for connive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for connive

Verb

Scribner’s ignored Hemingway and let Conrad use brief excerpts.

— Stephen Bates, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Moscow ignored that truce from the start and Kyiv vowed to retaliate.

— Spencer Kimball,Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignore

Verb

That's what prosecutors said in opening statements motivated a rap star to plot and carry out the murder of a rival rap artist.

— Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Bolsonaro also called for amnesty for his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence under house arrest after being found guilty of plotting a coup to overturn his defeat in the 2022 election.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of plot

Verb

Fresh silhouettes in pale pink, sky blue, khaki and white were cut in crisp cotton, winking to the daywear summer occasions of the Sa Su Phi customers who juggle between board meetings, art gallery openings and a garden parties.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
In his short tenure on the show (before decamping along with Lorne Michaels and the rest of the cast after the fifth season), Murray exhibited a knowingness that turned his sketches into winking star vehicles.

— Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of wink

Verb

Who doesn’t love a good scheming royal for collecting Halloween treats?

— Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2026
That point is proved time and again, as editors scheme against each other, belittle each other’s literary taste and throw Batter under the bus whenever an opportunity arises.

— Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of scheme

Browse Nearby Words

connivances

connive

connived

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Connive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/connive. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of connive

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes