Definition of complicitynext
as in conspiracy
a secret agreement or cooperation between two parties for an illegal or dishonest purpose the two major auction houses acting in complicity to drive up the prices of art works

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 complicity He was sentenced in January 2024 to 25 years, following his guilty plea to counts including complicity to murder. Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2026 According to analysts, the growth of scam states has been rapid and systemic, driven by sophisticated technology, weak law enforcement, and political tolerance or complicity. Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 4 Mar. 2026 The Alabama Solution is also a study of complicity. Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Mar. 2026 There’s the sweeping angle of [Yasmin’s] complicity in her own exploitation, [with] the line of that being gossamer-thin with the idea of Haley being an escort, who’s chosen that life for herself. Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for complicity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicity
Noun
  • The action film stars Bob Odenkirk as a small town sheriff who stumbles on a larger conspiracy following a local bank robbery.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026
  • Defendants face charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and conspiracy statutes and are accused of intimidating worshippers and disrupting religious services.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Five officers with the Penn Hills Police Department filed a civil lawsuit against the township and several of its leaders, alleging corruption and collusion.
    Jennifer Borrasso, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
  • The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is serving a sentence of 13 years and nine months on charges including collusion against national security and propaganda against Iran’s government.
    Yarden Segev, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Individuals and groups have often accused the U.S. government of denying their rights, and some of those accusations were irrefutable—as in the century between Appomattox and Selma, when the rights of Black Americans were denied throughout the South with the connivance of Washington.
    George Packer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
  • But widespread disgust with the mayor’s mendacity and the connivance of eight City Council members is changing the political landscape.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Complicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/complicity. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.

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