cheat

1 of 2

verb

cheated; cheating; cheats

transitive verb

1
: to deprive of something valuable by the use of deceit or fraud
cheated the elderly couple out of their property
2
: to influence or lead by deceit, trick, or artifice
a young man who cheated young women into marrying him when he was already married
3
: to elude or thwart by or as if by outwitting
cheat death

intransitive verb

1
a
: to practice fraud or trickery
denied the accusation that he cheated
b
: to violate rules dishonestly
cheat at cards
cheating on a test
2
: to be sexually unfaithful
usually used with on
was cheating on his wife
3
: to position oneself defensively near a particular area in anticipation of a play in that area
the shortstop was cheating toward second base

cheat

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act or an instance of fraudulently deceiving : deception, fraud
His financial activity turned out to be a great cheat.
2
or cheat code : a code (such as a button combination or password) that activates a hidden feature or capability in a computer or video game
In fact, some game levels are so tough that I had to resort to cheats to get through.Peter Cohen
Most people think that using a cheat code is the only way to earn a dishonest reward …Christopher Breen
3
: one that cheats : pretender, deceiver
is a liar and a cheat
tax cheats
4
[probably from a deceptive resemblance to grain]
5
: the obtaining of property from another by an intentional active distortion of the truth
Choose the Right Synonym for cheat

cheat, cozen, defraud, swindle mean to get something by dishonesty or deception.

cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.

always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars

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

swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence.

swindled of their savings by con artists

Examples of cheat in a Sentence

Verb The players were accused of cheating. I had to cheat in order to solve the puzzle. The store cheats its customers through false advertising. They cheated him out of a fair deal. a heroin addict who has cheated death many times
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
It's even been speculated that someone in The Firm let the tabloids smear Meghan in exchange for not running the cheating allegations. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2024 This presents challenges for the public and for agencies tasked with protecting public health and safety, preventing businesses from cheating their workers, and enforcing a wide range of laws. Suzanne Dershowitz, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 Don’t try cheating Try ignoring the scan result at your own peril. Parija Kavilanz, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Scammers have found creative ways to cheat investors out of their money, the BBB said in its annual report about the biggest scams of 2023, which is based on 67,000 reports of scams. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024 The siblings acknowledged cheating the U.S. government out of more than $175,000 in COVID-19 relief funds through Grassroots Resources, the political consultancy Jesus Cardenas launched nearly a decade ago. Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 As well he should be, given that Korea’s laws put firearms all but out of the equation and knives are the next-most-cowardly cheat to introduce into a fistfight. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 25 Feb. 2024 Television The ‘Vanderpump Rules’ cheating scandal keeps churning. Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Urging your best bud not to waste tears over a jerk who cheated, say, or a workaholic who couldn’t even send a happy birthday text might seem like a reassuring reality check. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
Most delightfully, the games’ old-school cheats work. Matt Gardner, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 The new money will empower the IRS to go after tax cheats earning more than $400,000 a year, the agency says, a threshold that roughly corresponds to the top 2% of American earners. Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024 Like Diana’s visits from the beyond, these moments are a dramatic cheat — an easy way to dress up the story with some sentimental plushness — and not really worthy of this unstintingly great series, or the no-nonsense Elizabeth. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023 That's like a cheat code right in your own home, use that to your advantage. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 31 Jan. 2024 The real hangup comes from our body’s ability (or inability) to produce sufficient enough amounts to process those cheesy cheat days. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024 The new funds will empower the IRS to go after tax cheats earning more than $400,000 a year, the agency says, a threshold that roughly corresponds to the top 2% of American earners. USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is still a cheat meal of sorts, but Yesufu’s top picks start in the suburbs at J. Alexander’s in Overland Park. Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 18 Jan. 2024 Meryl still needs a Grammy and Tony to become an EGOT. RAE That’s a cheat code. Mesfin Fekadu, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cheat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

earlier cheat forfeited property, from Middle English chet escheat, short for eschete — more at escheat

First Known Use

Verb

1590, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cheat was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near cheat

Cite this Entry

“Cheat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheat. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cheat

1 of 2 verb
1
: to deprive of something valuable by dishonest methods
cheated them out of their property
2
: to successfully avoid or oppose by or as if by cleverness
the daredevil had cheated death again
3
: to use unfair or dishonest methods to gain an advantage
cheat on a test
cheat at cards
cheater noun

cheat

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act of cheating
2
: a person who cheats

More from Merriam-Webster on cheat

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