to secretly plan with someone to do something that is harmful or illegal, to pretend not to notice something wrong or illegal

wink at, turn a blind eye to, in cahoots with

connive at, connive with, connive in

Formal and Informal Expressions of connive

In different contexts, you can replace 'connive' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'conspire, collude' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'plot, scheme' is a commonplace synonym.

connive: Explore its Definition & Usage

connive Definition

1to secretly plan with someone to do something that is harmful or illegal
2to pretend not to notice something wrong or illegal

Using connive: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "connive" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
The two politicians were conniving to rig the election.
Example
He connived with his friends to steal the money.
Example
She was accused of conniving with the enemy.
Example
The company was found guilty of conniving with its suppliers to fix prices.

connive Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for connive

Antonyms for connive

oppose
thwart
resist

Idioms Using connive

wink at
to pretend not to see or know about something wrong or illegal
Example
The manager winked at the employees' habit of taking office supplies home.
turn a blind eye to
to pretend not to see or know about something wrong or illegal
Example
The teacher turned a blind eye to the students cheating on the exam.
in cahoots with
secretly cooperating with someone to do something wrong or illegal
Example
The corrupt official was in cahoots with the drug cartel.

Phrases with connive

connive at
to allow or tolerate something wrong or illegal without taking action to stop it
Example
The police were accused of conniving at the illegal activities of the gang.
connive with
to secretly cooperate with someone to do something wrong or illegal
Example
The employee was conniving with the competitor to steal trade secrets.
connive in
to be involved in a plan or scheme that is wrong or illegal
Example
He was accused of conniving in the fraud scheme.

Origins of connive

from Latin 'con-' meaning 'together' and 'niveare' meaning 'to snow'

📌

Summary: connive in Brief

The verb 'connive' [kəˈnaɪv] means to secretly plan with someone to do something harmful or illegal, or to pretend not to notice something wrong or illegal. It can be used in phrases like 'connive at,' 'connive with,' and 'connive in.' Synonyms include 'conspire,' 'plot,' and 'scheme.' Idioms like 'wink at' and 'turn a blind eye to' have similar meanings. Antonyms include 'oppose,' 'resist,' and 'thwart.'