expression, ichidan verb
play along in conversation; pretend to agree
Used when someone goes along with what another person says, often to avoid conflict or to be polite, without necessarily believing it.
彼の話はつまらなかったけど、話を合わせて笑っておいた。
His story was boring, but I played along and laughed.
上司の意見に
It's safer to just go along with the boss's opinion.
expression, ichidan verb
get one's stories straight; make sure stories match
Used when people coordinate their accounts beforehand so that their stories are consistent, often to avoid contradictions.
警察に話す前に、みんなで話を合わせよう。
Let's get our stories straight before talking to the police.
彼らは事前に話を合わせていたので、証言が一致していた。
They had coordinated their stories beforehand, so their testimonies matched.