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
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Recent Examples of complicity
Grossman succeeds in interrogating the very gaze his film is built upon, yet never fully escapes it, leaving the documentary caught between critique and complicity.
—
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Joe Biden’s efforts to be the most pro-labor president in history didn’t spare him the wrath of young Starbucks employees who accused him of complicity in genocide.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for complicity
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Joe Biden’s efforts to be the most pro-labor president in history didn’t spare him the wrath of young Starbucks employees who accused him of complicity in genocide.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for complicity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicity
Noun
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Bambaataa denied the allegations in a statement that invoked a sense of conspiracy, and suggested that the accusers were agents intent on tarnishing his reputation.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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Each are ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution for their role in the conspiracy, federal officials said.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The ultimate objective of such horizontal collusion is to make the ALNG the sole European buyer — a monopsony, in effect — collectively exercising market power among competitors to reduce licensing payments.—
Ike Brannon,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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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
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Complicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicity. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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