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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defraud
Defendants Patrick and Charles Boyd were convicted of defrauding the Food and Drug Administration by using their wholesale business to buy more than $90 million of illicit pharmaceutical drugs in other parts of the country and distribute them to unwitting customers in South Florida.
—
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
After receiving his commutation, Santos expressed remorse for defrauding people and vowed to make improving the nation’s prisons his life’s work.
—Khalil Cumberbatch, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The group allegedly defrauded victims of at least $50,000 that night.
—Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
In comparison, Elizabeth Holmes, who was convicted of defrauding investors in the Theranos case, reportedly ended up with a legal bill of roughly $30 million.
—Ken Sweet, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defraud
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
After receiving his commutation, Santos expressed remorse for defrauding people and vowed to make improving the nation’s prisons his life’s work.
—Khalil Cumberbatch, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The group allegedly defrauded victims of at least $50,000 that night.
—Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
In comparison, Elizabeth Holmes, who was convicted of defrauding investors in the Theranos case, reportedly ended up with a legal bill of roughly $30 million.
—Ken Sweet, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defraud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defraud
Verb
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Blashill wants the Blackhawks to be a fast-pressure team at both ends of the rink, one that attacks vertically but never cheats for offense.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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When athletes are caught cheating, a number of familiar examples are often brought up.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The polls had him on top for months, and his decision to focus his mayoral campaign on cost-of-living issues proved to be the right one in a city where residents are increasingly squeezed between growing rents and ever costlier public services.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Aid is declining and rising debt is squeezing public budgets.—
Obiageli Ezekwesili,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Dodgers, with baseball's biggest payroll, have used their financial ability to pluck some of the most sought-after and most expensive free agents on the market.—
Steve Futterman,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
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An all-star cast plucked from different corners of the pop culture firmament leads Ryan Murphy's All's Fair, a Hulu legal drama about female divorce attorneys who open their own practice.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Outerlands stars Dillon as thirtysomething Cass, who hustles jobs as a server, nanny and party drug dealer to make rent on their tiny San Francisco apartment.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
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But Boberg, a freshman defender, hustled to the goal line to block the attempt.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But voters who showed up to the polls on Tuesday had a different point of view and delivered stinging defeats to Republicans.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
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In February, Vance delivered a stinging message to European allies, saying that the biggest threat to Europe did not come from Russia or China, but from within Europe itself, and that he was concerned Europe was moving toward censorship and away from democracy.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Gordon warned me that this was deceiving.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Santos was sentenced to prison in April after admitting last year to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of 11 people — including his own family members — to make donations to his campaign.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Two former Stockman staffers also were found guilty in a scheme to bilk conservative foundations out of at least $775,000 that was meant for charitable purposes and voter education.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
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Former Jackson Health Foundation COO Charmaine Gatlin pled guilty to bilking millions in charity funds.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Black residents who got swindled out of land could not turn to the courts.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Navedo was charged with fraud-swindle-obtain property for $50,000 or more and abuse of an elderly or disabled adult without great bodily harm.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defraud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defraud. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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