Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cooperate secretly or dishonestly with others, especially to deceive or cheat someone, or to do something illegal or unethical. This action implies a hidden agreement between parties to achieve a shared, often wrongful, goal.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • The two companies were found to collude to fix prices, harming consumers.
  • Investigators suspect the guards colluded with the thieves to allow the robbery.
  • They denied allegations that they had colluded to rig the bidding process.

Advanced Usage

• "to collude in/on something": To secretly plan or participate in a specific deceitful act.
  • Several officials were accused of colluding in the cover-up.
• "to collude with someone": To form a secret partnership with a specific person or group for a wrongful purpose.
  • The athlete was banned for colluding with a gambler.

Variants and Related Words

• Collusion (n): The secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially in order to cheat or deceive others.
  • The merger was blocked due to evidence of collusion between the firms.
• Collusive (adj): Involving, characterized by, or done in collusion.
  • The court ruled the agreement was collusive and therefore void.

Synonyms

• Conspire: To jointly make secret plans to commit an unlawful or harmful act.
• Connive: To secretly allow something considered immoral, illegal, or harmful to occur; often implies tacit cooperation.
• Plot: To secretly make plans to carry out a scheme, often illegal.

Related Phrases

• In collusion with: Working together secretly for a dishonest purpose.
  • He was acting in collusion with a rival company.

Idioms

• To be in cahoots (with someone): (Informal idiom) To be collaborating secretly, especially for a dishonest purpose. This is a less formal equivalent.
  • Everyone thought the two politicians were in cahoots.

Verb

1. act in unison or agreement and in secret towards a deceitful or illegal purpose
   • The two companies conspired to cause the value of the stock to fall