Thesaurus results for DEFRAUD

Q: How does the verb 'defraud' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of defraud are cheat , cozen , and swindle . While all these words mean "to get something by dishonesty or deception," defraud stresses depriving one of his or her rights and usually connotes deliberate perversion of the truth. // defrauded of her inheritance by an unscrupulous lawyer

Q: When might 'cheat' be a better fit than 'defraud'?

While in some cases nearly identical to defraud , cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation. // cheated me out of a dollar

Q: When would 'cozen' be a good substitute for 'defraud'?

The words cozen and defraud can be used in similar contexts, but cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose. // always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars

Q: Where would 'swindle' be a reasonable alternative to 'defraud'?

In some situations, the words swindle and defraud are roughly equivalent. However, swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence. // swindled of their savings by con artists

defraud

verb

di-ˈfrȯd

Definition of defraud

as in to cheat

to rob by the use of trickery or threats senior citizens generally were too smart to fall for the fast-talking salesman's attempts to defraud them

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the verb defraud contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of defraud are cheat, cozen, and swindle. While all these words mean "to get something by dishonesty or deception," defraud stresses depriving one of his or her rights and usually connotes deliberate perversion of the truth.

defrauded of her inheritance by an unscrupulous lawyer

When might cheat be a better fit than defraud?

While in some cases nearly identical to defraud, cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

When would cozen be a good substitute for defraud?

The words cozen and defraud can be used in similar contexts, but cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.

always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars

Where would swindle be a reasonable alternative to defraud?

In some situations, the words swindle and defraud are roughly equivalent. However, swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence.

swindled of their savings by con artists

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of defraud The dozen defendants face 187 counts in all, including forgery, motor vehicle theft and defrauding creditors, the government and insurance companies. — Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2026 During the campaign, Mottl’s campaign, working with Cor Strategies, sent out mailers accusing Grasso of defrauding the government of $36,000. — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 In December 1988, Jim Bakker was indicted for fraud and conspiring to defraud churchgoers of $158 million. — Ronnie Glassberg, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 Malachi Ethan Keasler, 26, of Clearwater, is accused of grand theft, possession of another person’s identification and scheme to defraud in connection with the theft, the sheriff’s office said. — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defraud

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defraud

Verb

For example, if a model figures out a way to cheat to win a game, but the human running the training doesn’t spot the cheating, then the model will learn to cheat.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
The move, orchestrated by Everett to satisfy the demands of the company’s top-dollar backers, cheats Michael out of his stock options and equity in the company.

— Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of cheat

Verb

Meta squeezes two independent light-guiding cores into a single standard glass strand to double its bandwidth.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Fuel expenses are squeezing daily household budgets and tightening cash flow toward the end of the month, with reports indicating a growing number of French employees are requesting payroll advances to manage month end expenses.

— , CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of squeeze

Verb

As the party winded down, guests plucked final bites off silver platters and marveled at how tall Skarsgård truly is in person—his nearly six-foot-five frame barely fit under the bar’s low ceilings.

— Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
Starring alongside Amell is a slew of objectively hot influencers and models plucked straight off the TikTok FYP, including Noah Beck, Olivia Dunne, and Brooks Nader.

— Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of pluck

Verb

The last thing the Bears need is for Williams to hustle back only to reinjure himself and miss more time.

— Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
That urgency has marked Holden’s prolific output—especially the thrilling first installment of his Supreme Magnetic series in 2025 and 2022’s Joe Frog—as the Harlem rapper uses his street-hustling past to paint an autobiographical portrait.

— Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of hustle

Verb

All of a sudden, Bass was a staggering champion lunging at a revived Raman, who swung and stung and ducked the way only a hungry up-and-comer can.

— Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Clement famously tried to get the Supreme Court to overturn President Obama's signature health care law, a loss that still stings.

— Carrie Johnson, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of sting

Verb

The evidence does not establish that Claude deliberately set out to deceive investigators.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Until Holmes, the characters in Oppenheim’s documentaries had been relative unknowns — people with far less incentive to deceive him.

— Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceive

Verb

The film chronicled Gortner’s youth as a Pentecostal preacher in the American South and exposed the deceptive practices used to bilk believers out of their money.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
In 2025, romance scammers bilked ordinary men and women out of over a billion dollars using a variety of crooked tactics.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of bilk

Verb

But the women’s friendship soured when Brady claimed McDonnell and Nilles tried to swindle her out of funds.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
And there’s little reasonable about looking the other way when residents say they’re being swindled or when the state’s constitution is being violated.

— Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of swindle

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deforms

defraud

defrauded

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“Defraud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defraud. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of defraud

verb

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