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
Spurred by Russia’s brutal war and China’s complicity in that aggression, governments in Australia, Japan, South Korea, and across Europe have finally started the long overdue process of taking greater responsibility for their countries’ defense.
—
Robin Niblett, Foreign Affairs, 8 Jan. 2025
Now, some 80 years later, the names of those suspected of collaborating with the Nazis have been made public in the Netherlands as the country goes to new lengths to document the extent of its complicity in the horrors perpetrated by the Third Reich.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 5 Jan. 2025
Her decision to speak openly about her experiences was not only a bid for personal justice, but also an effort to force society to confront its complicity in enabling such violence.
—Chloe Laws, Glamour, 19 Dec. 2024
Central among those truths is Israel’s violent, decades-long subjugation of Palestinians, and US institutions’ complicity in sustaining what Coates sees as a system akin to Jim Crow.
—Longreads, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for complicity 
Robin Niblett, Foreign Affairs, 8 Jan. 2025
Now, some 80 years later, the names of those suspected of collaborating with the Nazis have been made public in the Netherlands as the country goes to new lengths to document the extent of its complicity in the horrors perpetrated by the Third Reich.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 5 Jan. 2025
Her decision to speak openly about her experiences was not only a bid for personal justice, but also an effort to force society to confront its complicity in enabling such violence.
—Chloe Laws, Glamour, 19 Dec. 2024
Central among those truths is Israel’s violent, decades-long subjugation of Palestinians, and US institutions’ complicity in sustaining what Coates sees as a system akin to Jim Crow.
—Longreads, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for complicity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicity
Noun
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The defendants were charged with 45 counts relating to the scheme, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S., wire fraud, and aiding and assisting in preparing false tax returns.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes,
25 Jan. 2025
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The defendants include Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers who was sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy and other charges related to the riot, and Kelly Meggs, one of Rhodes' top deputies who was sentenced to 12 years.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Fans wanting to claim, with zero evidence by the way, that there was collusion or tampering would do well consider that LA, for many reasons, is just a logical choice For Sasaki.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
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However, after the end came, many of the performers, cartoonists, and other humorists who had joked on the regime’s behalf went back to their careers, unscathed by their collusion with the Fascists.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Of course, this was done with the connivance of politicians.—
Vera Bergengruen/Buenos Aires,
TIME,
23 May 2024
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Michael Hiltzik: How the GOP — with Democratic Party connivance — has undermined a crucial effort to avert the next pandemic.—
Jaweed Kaleem,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Complicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicity. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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