cheat
verb
\
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
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
nounDefinition 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
5 : the obtaining of property from another by an intentional active distortion of the truth
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms & Antonyms for cheat
Synonyms: Verb
disappoint, dissatisfy, fail, let down
Synonyms: Noun
bilk, bilker, cheater, chiseler (or chiseller), confidence man, cozener, defrauder, dodger, finagler, hoaxer, scammer, shark, sharper, swindler, trickster
Antonyms: Verb
Visit the Thesaurus for More
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
Well, my husband blew through our money, cheated on me with a much younger woman and then left me and the children. — Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, "Needy single mom feels abandoned by church family," 1 July 2018 And yes, Presley fell in love with a teenager, married her after a long courtship, had a child with her, cheated on her and eventually drove her away. — Hilary Hughes, Billboard, "Looking For Trouble: 'The Searcher' & 'The King' Revisit Elvis Presley's '68 Special at the Perfect Time," 29 June 2018 Would North Korea ever disclose all of its weapons, after cheating on past agreements with Presidents Clinton in 1994 and George W. Bush in 2002? — NBC News, "Trump relies on gut instinct. The North Koreans have 45 years of preparation.," 10 June 2018 The song is sung from the point of view of a woman who's been cheated on and is breaking up with her partner; in the clip, Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles plays that woman, actor Brandon Routh plays her partner, and Swift plays his mistress. — Andrea Park, Allure, "Taylor Swift Has Red Hair Now and She Looks Totally Different," 7 June 2018 Weak governance has historically been tied to corporate blowups such as Volkswagen ’s diesel-emissions cheating scandal, just as weak environmental controls have been a cause of oil spills at companies like BP. — Elizabeth Winkler, WSJ, "#MeToo Is Not a Buying Opportunity for Investors," 12 July 2018 But left unchecked, refurbished trucks would emit more per year than all vehicles affected by the Volkswagen AG emissions-cheating scandal would have spewed by 2025, according to an analysis by the nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Scott Pruitt gave “super polluting” trucks a gift on his last day at the EPA," 8 July 2018 The company remains squarely in the aftermath of its diesel emissions cheating scandal. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "7:57:148—Volkswagen makes racing history with record-breaking electric race car," 29 June 2018 Lukas Barth — Reuters Audi Chief Executive Rupert Stadler was arrested on Monday in connection with the 2015 Volkswagen Group diesel-emissions cheating scandal. — Natasha Bach, Fortune, "Why Audi CEO Rupert Stadler Was Just Arrested," 18 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
While our fellow media friends are getting to the bottom of the split (did Brad cheat on Angie with a co-star? — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "How Will Brad and Angelina Divide Their Assets?," 20 Sep. 2016 Attacks come in the final few hundred yards of the biggest climbs, where a clean rider has a chance at besting a TUE cheat. — Marc Peruzzi, Outside Online, "Stop Boycotting Pro Cycling," 6 July 2018 In an age when the government had found myriad reasons to end a life and so many high-tech ways to do it, having someone close to you die the classic way, for no earthly reason at all, seemed like a cheat. — Jason Douglas Louie, The Root, "Birthday Boy," 15 Apr. 2018 There were many liars and cheats during Open Class Doping, especially among the Americans. — Marc Peruzzi, Outside Online, "Stop Boycotting Pro Cycling," 6 July 2018 There was a lot — so here’s a handy cheat guide to catch up on all of the important stuff. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "The 10 biggest stories of E3 2018," 15 June 2018 He was also accused of being a golf cheat (and even a thief) as a youngster. — Dale Robertson Staff Writer, San Antonio Express-News, "A dose of perspective on Patrick Reed’s style of play and persona," 11 June 2018 Our robot designs might sometimes seem to be simple cheats stolen blindly, or even superficial pastiches of natural forms appropriated for purely aesthetic reasons. — Adam Stanton, Scientific American, "Why Do Robots Look Like Animals and Humans?," 5 June 2018 And while few, if any, doubt that PED use exists beyond the five positive tests and 80-game suspensions doled out by MLB this season, a vast majority believe most cheats are caught. — Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY, "MLB players survey: Sounding off on umps, shifts, steroids - and whether to strike back," 28 June 2018These 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about cheat
Statistics for cheat
Last Updated
27 Sep 2018
Look-up Popularity
Keep scrolling for more
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
nounEnglish 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
\
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
cheat
nounKids Definition of cheat (Entry 2 of 2)
: a dishonest person
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on cheat
What made you want to look up cheat? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Which Came First? Quiz
-
- Which came first?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share cheat
Resources for cheat