cahoots

British

/ kəˈhuːts /

plural noun

partnership; league (esp in the phrases go in cahoots with, go cahoot )
in collusion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cahoots Idioms

see under in league with.

Etymology

Origin of cahoots

C19: of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Charges that the Panama Canal Authority is in cahoots with China have always been specious.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

With no independent justice system in place, opponents of the M23 faced repression, some accused of being in cahoots with the pro-government militia.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

“We’re almost all in cahoots, or unconsciously have agreed to society being this way . . . and we’ve been born into it,” she said.

From Salon • Dec. 8, 2025

For its part, the M23 said the DR Congo army had launched an air and ground assault against its positions, and this was done in cahoots with Burundian forces.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025

The captain could not have done away with him, because the captain and I are in cahoots.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023