cheat

verb

\ ˈchēt

cheated; cheating; cheats

Definition of cheat

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

1a : 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

noun

Definition of cheat (Entry 2 of 2)

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 ]

a : chess sense 1

b : cheatgrass

5 : the obtaining of property from another by an intentional active distortion of the truth

Other Words from cheat Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about cheat

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Choose the Right Synonym for cheat

Verb

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

American Alysia Montaño will receive bronze medals she was cheated out of by Russian Mariya Savinova who finished ahead of her at the 2011 and 2013 world championships but was later disqualified for doping. . . — BostonGlobe.com, "Virginia coach declines raise," 17 Sep. 2019 Elsewhere Cal’s Montaño to get medals from 2011, ’13 Cal alum Alysia Montaño will receive bronze medals she was cheated out of by a Russian who finished ahead of her at the 2011 and 2013 world championships but was later disqualified for doping. — SFChronicle.com, "NHL playersdon’t opt outof labor deal," 16 Sep. 2019 And no one in our nation will benefit from the 14 days an actress will serve for cheating in college admissions. — Claudia Harmata, PEOPLE.com, "Homeless Mom Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Using Friend's Address to Enroll Son in School," 15 Sep. 2019 The council hired the researchers who uncovered Volkswagen’s emissions cheating. — Washington Post, "Report says airlines’ carbon emissions are growing fast," 13 Sep. 2019 Litigation began in 2015 when Deschanel and Boreanaz, along with executive producer Barry Josephson and crime writer Kathy Reichs, sued Fox, accusing the television studio of cheating them out of millions of dollars in payments. — Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, "Landmark profit dispute over ‘Bones’ TV show ends in a settlement with Fox," 11 Sep. 2019 Sanders did not shy away from discussing coal miners in his speech, offering support for the former Blackjewel miners protesting in Harlan County and criticizing coal company CEOs for cheating workers out of pensions and benefits. — Joe Sonka, The Courier-Journal, "Bernie Sanders calls on Mitch McConnell to 'stop your cowardice' in Louisville rally," 25 Aug. 2019 Mazzucato argues that Apple is essentially cheating its investors out of their fair share of its profits—the investors in this case being U.S. citizens whose tax payments funded its commercial rise. — Win Mccormack, The New Republic, "The Green New Deal: A Capitalist Plot (Part 2)," 15 Aug. 2019 Following the wedding, the two experienced a bit of a rough patch, when cheating rumors (and a video of Offset with another woman) caused a bit of drama. — Gabi Thorne, Allure, "Cardi B Tattooed Offset's Name on Her Leg and It Looks Like It Hurt," 23 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The Trump view that the Chinese leadership consists of liars and cheats generally is not embraced in Canada, though Conservatives are calling for a much tougher line against that rising economic power. — David Shribman, Los Angeles Times, "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is vulnerable in next month’s election," 12 Sep. 2019 So, 19 years in the game may be enough – even if Morton finally has the cheat codes. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "Rays All-Star Charlie Morton, peaking at 35, has no regrets about long road to stardom," 27 Aug. 2019 But there is no Max Martin or Shellback here — superproducers who helped guide her recent pop tracks — which means no cheat code. — Jon Caramanica, New York Times, "Taylor Swift Emerges From the Darkness Unbroken on ‘Lover’," 23 Aug. 2019 The extra patrols are still in force, intimidating would-be fare cheats and staving off other forms of crime. — Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, "Needles on wane in BART trains and stations, another sign of fentanyl’s rise," 7 July 2019 For all the caterwauling about steroid cheats soiling the sanctity of the record books, where are those cries now that pitchers are forced to throw slick Superballs that even Major League Baseball finally, grudgingly admitted were juiced? — Henry Schulman, SFChronicle.com, "Giants get six homers — three from Mike Yastrzemski — in crazy 11-inning victory," 17 Aug. 2019 Okay, this one’s a bit of a cheat, because there are simply no bad times to train through Switzerland. — Kaitlin Menza, Town & Country, "Here’s How to Take a Train Trip Through the Swiss Alps," 20 July 2019 To many runners and race historians, Ms. Ruiz was less a feminist trailblazer than a brazen course-cutter and an unrepentant cheat. — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, "Rosie Ruiz, who ‘won’ Boston Marathon but skipped most of the race, dies at 66," 7 Aug. 2019 Ryan Braun, another Biogenesis cheat who was suspended, still is booed. — San Francisco Chronicle, "Lovable Bartolo Colon gets a pass, unlike other PED users," 17 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cheat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for cheat

cheat

verb

English Language Learners Definition of cheat

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to break a rule or law usually to gain an advantage at something

: to take something from (someone) by lying or breaking a rule

: to prevent (someone) from having something that he or she deserves or was expecting to get

cheat

noun

English Language Learners Definition of cheat (Entry 2 of 2)

: a person who cheats

See the full definition for cheat in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cheat

verb

\ ˈchēt

cheated; cheating

Kids Definition of cheat

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to use unfair or dishonest methods to gain an advantage cheat on a test cheat at cards

2 : to take something away from or keep from having something by dishonest tricks “Old Mr. Peterson was cheated of his money by a dishonest agent …”— Janet Shaw, Meet Kirsten