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
Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 7 May 2025
In their stories about others, 92% chronicled how misfortune befell cheating partners, indebted friends, bullies and lousy coworkers.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
There’s simply no alternative outcome that works, that doesn’t feel like a cheat.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cheat
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Disgruntled attendees, many of them authors, said they felt cheated by event organizers, who failed to deliver on most, if not all fronts.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 7 May 2025
In their stories about others, 92% chronicled how misfortune befell cheating partners, indebted friends, bullies and lousy coworkers.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
Noun
Everything else, whether AI or organizers or schedulers, is really just a cheat code—nice to have but dispensable.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
There’s simply no alternative outcome that works, that doesn’t feel like a cheat.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 3 May 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 20 May. 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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