1. Acting together in secret toward a fraudulent or illegal end
   "The conniving business partners planned to deceive their investors";
   - collusive
    
2. Acting with or showing clever self-interest or cunning
   "A conniving business rival";
   - calculating, calculative, scheming, shrewd

1. Encourage or assent to illegally or criminally
   "The corrupt official connived with the smugglers to bypass customs"
    
2. Plot something harmful; scheme in an underhand manner
   "They connived to embezzle company funds";
   - scheme, intrigue

See also: covert, hard

Type of: accede, acquiesce, assent, plot