* Formal: The corrupt officials connived with the developers to approve the environmentally harmful project.
* Informal: They connived to get me to go to the party, even though I said I didn't want to.
* Figurative: The detective suspected the victim's family connived with the killer to make it look like a robbery.
* Action-oriented: The opposing team connived to distract the star player during the crucial play.
* Humorous: My dog connived to get an extra treat by pretending to be sad and lonely.
Remember that "connive" often has a negative connotation, implying secret plotting and unethical behavior.