1. to secretly allow or help with wrongdoing by ignoring it or failing to prevent it
Usage: often followed by ‘at’ or ‘with’
2. to cooperate secretly in a scheme or plot

Examples

• The security guard connived at the theft by looking the other way.
• She refused to connive with her colleagues in covering up the mistake.
• The officials connived to hide the evidence from investigators.
• Parents shouldn’t connive at their children’s bad behavior.
• The corrupt politicians connived to embezzle public funds.
• He was accused of conniving with the enemy during wartime.