collude

Definitions

col-/con- (together) + lude (play) = 'to play a game together' — but secretly and crookedly, against someone else. Latin colludere literally meant 'to play together,' which already carried the sense of a put-up game. Two firms collude to fix prices; officials collude to bury a report. It usually takes 'with' or 'in.'

Common Collocations

• 1.collude with与……串通
• 2.collude to串通做……
• 3.collude in参与共谋

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Several banks were accused of colluding to rig interest rates.

• 2.

  He colluded with the contractor to inflate the invoices.

• 3.

  There is no evidence that the officials colluded in the cover-up.

Easily Confused

collude vs conspire — both are secret cooperation for a wrong end. conspire is broader and stronger, often implying a plan to commit a serious crime (conspire to commit murder). collude is narrower, typically about cheating, fraud, or rigging within a system (collude to fix prices) and is common in legal and commercial contexts.