cheat

verb \ ˈchēt \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of cheat

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

—

cheater

noun

See cheat defined for English-language learners

See cheat defined for kids

Examples of cheat in a Sentence

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 of cheat from the Web

Getty Images Ellen DeGeneres is doing the good work of getting to the bottom of the Tristan Thompson cheating scandal.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "Kris Jenner Teared Up Talking About the Tristan Thompson Cheating Scandal," 4 May 2018
Martin Winterkorn, the former CEO of Volkswagen, was charged with conspiracy to defraud the US related to the massive diesel emissions cheating scandal that has ensnared the German automaker for almost three years.

— andrew j. hawkins, The Verge, "Volkswagen’s former CEO charged in the US for diesel cheating scandal: report," 3 May 2018
Every previous diplomatic effort to ease the Korean standoff has foundered on effectively verifying the North's willingness to dismantle its weapons programs -- and its propensity to cheat.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "Trump deserves credit for Korean thaw," 27 Apr. 2018
His six-year tenure here saw growth in test scores, graduation rates and enrollment, but his administration was dogged by fiscal problems, cheating scandals and occasionally rocky relations with the teachers union.

— los angeles times, baltimoresun.com, "Former Baltimore city schools CEO Andres Alonso a candidate for L.A. superintendent job," 21 Apr. 2018
Brody Jenner, son of Caitlyn Jenner and half-brother to Kendall and Kylie Jenner, has shared his thoughts the now infamous cheating scandal involving Kardashian's boyfriend, Tristan Thompson.

— morgan m. evans, Fox News, "Brody Jenner calls Tristan Thompson, Khloe Kardashian cheating scandal a 'mess'," 17 Apr. 2018
Mr Müller got the CEO’s job in September 2015, when Martin Winterkorn resigned in the wake of the carmaker’s emissions-cheating scandal.

— The Economist, "Business this week," 12 Apr. 2018
While there was no obvious trigger for Mueller’s departure at this moment, his efforts to lead the company beyond the 2015 emissions cheating scandal have stalled.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Analogic to be acquired by private investment firm," 10 Apr. 2018
In the aftermath of the diesel-cheating scandal, Mueller sought to overhaul Volkswagen's rigid top-down management structure, delegating more responsibility to its brand and regional chiefs.

— bloomberg, latimes.com, "Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller saved the company. Now he's headed for the exit," 10 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.

Origin and Etymology of cheat

²cheat

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1590

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

cheat Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

cheat

noun

Definition of cheat

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

[probably from a deceptive resemblance to grain]

a : chess 1

b : cheatgrass

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

See cheat defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of cheat from the Web

The Kims are serial cheats and nuclear weapons are central to their grip on power (see article).

— The Economist, "Despite North Korea, arms control is unravelling," 5 May 2018
The Justice Department cited a meeting in July 2015—just weeks before Volkswagen admitted to the diesel cheat—that was chaired by Mr. Winterkorn.

— william boston, WSJ, "U.S. Indictment of Former VW Chief Makes Hardly a Ripple in Germany," 4 May 2018
That’s Jordan Baker — the umpire, not the fictional golf cheat symbolizing the old-money establishment’s indifference to morality — attempting to punch out Nick Markakis on a strike-him-out, throw-him-out double play.

— ted berg, For The Win, "Umpire checks his swing just in time to avoid punching Phillies infielder in the face," 17 Apr. 2018
Michael, who has been watching with Janet (D'Arcy Carden) during this time, cheats, heads down to Earth and shows up in Eleanor's life as a bartender, fulfilling the dreams of Cheers fans everywhere who wanted to see Danson behind a bar again.

— kelly lawler, USA TODAY, "'The Good Place' recap: Stunning Season 2 finale surprised us all over again," 2 Feb. 2018
In a just world, a cheat on Armstrong’s scale should have to give back most or all of his gains.

— bill gifford, Outside Online, "Op-Ed: Did Armstrong Just Crush the U.S. Government?," 20 Apr. 2018
Microsoft tried to squelch breaches like the Call of Duty cheats by launching an automated system that could detect JTAGed consoles and ban them.

— brendan i. koerner, WIRED, "The Young and the Reckless," 17 Apr. 2018
The Kazakh fighter accused his rival of being a long-term drug cheat and even insisted Alvarez had doped in the build-up to their first fight.

— martin rogers, USA TODAY, "Canelo Alvarez withdraws from rematch with Gennady Golovkin after failed drug tests," 3 Apr. 2018
In recent months, the California Highway Patrol has increased enforcement, assigning dedicated strike teams working overtime shifts to catch the cheats, but the agency has been unable to abate the problem.

— michael cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, "The battle to catch Bay Area carpool cheats takes on a new dimension," 2 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of cheat

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1615

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

cheat Synonyms

Synonyms

bilk, bilker, cheater, chiseler (or chiseller), confidence man, cozener, defrauder, dodger, finagler, hoaxer, scammer, shark, sharper, swindler, trickster;

Related Words

double-crosser, double-dealer;

bluffer, charlatan, fake, faker, humbug, impostor (or imposter), mountebank, phony (also phoney), pretender, quack, ringer, sham;

adventurer, fox, knave, prankster, rascal, rogue;

slicker, smoothy (or smoothie), wheeler-dealer;

plotter, schemer, sneak, sneaker;

CHEAT Defined for English Language Learners

cheat

verb

Definition of cheat for English Language Learners

: 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

Definition of cheat for English Language Learners

: a person who cheats

CHEAT Defined for Kids

cheat

verb \ ˈchēt \

Definition of cheat for Students

cheated; cheating

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

—

cheater

\ˈchē-tər\ noun

cheat

noun

Definition of cheat for Students

: a dishonest person

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cheat

Definition of cheat

cheater

Examples of cheat in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cheat from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cheat

cheat Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of cheat

cheat

Definition of cheat

Recent Examples of cheat from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cheat

cheat Synonyms

Synonyms

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CHEAT Defined for English Language Learners

cheat

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cheat

Definition of cheat for English Language Learners

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