cheated; cheating; cheats
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
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
1
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
Peter CohenMost people think that using a cheat code is the only way to earn a dishonest reward …—Christopher Breen
Christopher Breen4
5
: the obtaining of property from another by an intentional active distortion of the truth
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
Noun
a cheat at cards
Recent Examples on the Web
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
The documents included disciplinary information and reportedly showed that Sherrill was barred from walking at her 1994 graduation after refusing to inform on classmates involved in a cheating scandal.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
No one cheats like college football.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheat
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show current usage.
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Verb
The release came as the Ciattarelli campaign tried to raise questions about whether Sherrill was involved in a cheating scandal during her time in Annapolis in the early 1990s.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
The documents included disciplinary information and reportedly showed that Sherrill was barred from walking at her 1994 graduation after refusing to inform on classmates involved in a cheating scandal.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
Her character also has a fake handicapped license plate and cheats at golf.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
No one cheats like college football.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheat
Cite this Entry
“Cheat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheat. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cheat
1 of 2 verb1
: 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 noun1
: an act of cheating
2
: a person who cheats
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