conspired; conspiring
Synonyms of conspire

intransitive verb

1
a
: to join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act or an act which becomes unlawful as a result of the secret agreement
accused of conspiring to overthrow the government
conspired to monopolize and restrict trade
b
: scheme
2
: to act in harmony toward a common end
Circumstances conspired to defeat his efforts.
… the sun and the wind conspired to make splinters out of solid wood.B. J. Oliphant

Examples of conspire in a Sentence

conspired to replace the leader with someone more easily influenced foul weather and airline foul-ups seemed to be conspiring to ruin our vacation
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Finley’s breakout was the 2017 dark comedy Thoroughbreds, in which Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy play high-schoolers conspiring to kill an abusive stepfather. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026 That same prose, as rendered by Searls, is evident once again in the new book as the novel’s narrator relates how he was drawn to this mysterious outpost and how the place seems to be conspiring against his leaving there. Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 The government has also investigated Tim Walz, Jacob Frey, and Keith Ellison for conspiring to impede federal immigration enforcement; subpoenas demanding information from them were blocked by a federal judge earlier this summer. Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Both men pleaded guilty in March to conspiring to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conspire

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French conspirer, from Latin conspirare to be in harmony, conspire, from com- + spirare to breathe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of conspire was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Conspire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspire. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

conspired; conspiring
1
: to agree secretly to do an unlawful act : plot
conspiring to overthrow the dictator
2
: to act together
delays and the weather conspired to spoil our vacation

Legal Definition

conspire

intransitive verb
conspired; conspiring
: to join in a conspiracy compare solicit
Etymology

Latin conspirare to be in harmony, to join in an unlawful agreement, from com- together + spirare to breathe

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