conspire

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "conspire" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the act of secretly planning or plotting with others, often for a deceitful or illegal purpose. Example: "The two companies decided to conspire to fix prices, which led to a major investigation by the authorities."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

In fact, Jane once admitted to me that her preferred setting was f2.8 at 1/60 second and that she would, if at all possible, conspire to make the environment work at this setting – indirect sunlight from a north-facing widow would usually achieve it.

The Guardian - Arts

For we also had a monument of self-contradiction - a man of the hard right who could be a sensitive social reformer, a deeply committed Tory who could urge his colleagues to conspire with the enemy, a master of words who could use them with what many saw as gross irresponsibility, a devout loyalist who could lecture his queen, an atheist and a High Anglican.

The Guardian

Events conspire to prove our point.

The Guardian - Opinion

And two of the most worrying components of the slump falling prices and zero interest rates—have the nasty political side-effect of making it easy, in the short term, to ignore the severity of the problem, even as they conspire to make it worse.Most Japanese households have, in reality, grown steadily worse off during the past decade.

The Economist

As a result, the bargaining over pay is not at arm's length and boards conspire with executives by providing all sorts of "stealth pay" that disguises the true extent of their rewards.The director's role is ambiguous, because he is charged with counselling the chief executive as well as monitoring management's performance.

The Economist

Several things conspire to make supply of organs fall far short of demand.

The Economist

If state and media conspire to keep quiet about the debauchery of politicians, might it not be easier to hide other misdeeds, such as corruption?When Mr Strauss-Kahn was up for the IMF job, Jean Quatremer, a correspondent for Libération, a French newspaper, was one of the few voices expressing concern about his libertine ways.

The Economist

This camp fears that the next king might conspire with Mr Thaksin to launch a radical overhaul of the monarchy.Mr Prem's likely successor as a linchpin of Thai politics, Prawit Wongsuwan, is a mentor to Mr Prayuth who is now serving as defence minister.

The Economist

In the meantime, open-skies agreements played, and continue to play, an important role in the evolution of international aviation.You claim that airlines with antitrust immunity (like United Airlines and Lufthansa) will conspire to cut capacity and raise fares.

The Economist

The system's many weaknesses find it all too easy to conspire.

The Economist

The talents of Alan Rickman, Juliet Stevenson and Kristen Scott-Thomas nevertheless conspire with Mr Minghella's bravura film-making technique to crush the play's humours.Beckett's distrust of adaptations was principled.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "conspire", ensure the context clearly indicates whether the subjects are actively plotting something nefarious or whether circumstances are passively aligning to produce a particular result.

Common error

Avoid using "conspire" when simply describing coincidental or unintentional alignment of events. Use alternative phrases like "coincide" or "converge" to avoid implying malicious intent where it is not present.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "conspire" is as an intransitive verb. It describes the act of secretly planning with others to do something unlawful or harmful. Alternatively, it can denote a combination of events that lead to a particular outcome, as Ludwig AI confirms.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the word "conspire" is a versatile verb with two primary senses: secret planning and the convergence of events. Ludwig AI affirms its grammatical correctness and frequent usage across various contexts. Primarily found in News & Media, "conspire" suggests either a deliberate, often illicit, plot or a passive alignment of circumstances. When employing "conspire", ensure that the context clarifies the intended meaning, and consider alternatives like "plot together" or "collude" to avoid misinterpretations. Use it appropriately and avoid implying intent when describing mere coincidences.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

plot together

Focuses on the act of secret planning, emphasizing the collaborative aspect.

collude

Highlights secret cooperation, usually for illegal or deceitful purposes.

scheme

Implies a clever and often underhanded plan.

intrigue

Suggests elaborate secret plans often involving manipulation.

machinate

Emphasizes the plotting and scheming aspect of the collaboration.

cabal

Indicates a small group involved in secret political maneuvering.

complot

Focuses on the collaborative and secretive design of a plan.

work together

Refers to the collaboration of different factors to produce a result.

join forces

Indicates a uniting of efforts, often against a common adversary or challenge.

unite

Stresses the combining of separate elements to achieve a singular goal.

FAQs

How to use "conspire" in a sentence?

You can use "conspire" to describe secret planning between people, as in "The rebels "conspired" to overthrow the government", or to describe events aligning towards a certain outcome, such as "The weather and lack of preparation "conspired" to ruin the picnic".

What can I say instead of "conspire"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "plot together", "collude", "scheme", or "work together".

When is it appropriate to use "conspire" instead of "collaborate"?

"Conspire" implies secrecy and often illicit intent, whereas "collaborate" suggests open and legitimate cooperation. Choose "conspire" when actions are hidden and likely unethical or illegal.

Which is correct, "conspire to do" or "conspire in doing"?

"Conspire to do" is the more common and generally preferred construction, as in "They "conspired to commit" the crime". "Conspire in doing" is less frequent but not incorrect.