cozen

verb

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coz·en | \ ˈkə-zən

cozened; cozening\ ˈkəz-niŋ

, ˈkə-zə- \

Definition of cozen

transitive verb

1 : to deceive, win over, or induce to do something by artful coaxing and wheedling or shrewd trickery

2 : to gain by cozening someone cozened his supper out of the old couple

Other Words from cozen Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did you know? More Example Sentences Learn More About cozen

Choose the Right Synonym for cozen

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 cozen in a Sentence

cozened several elderly ladies into believing that he was intending marriage cozened scores of people by persuading them to hand over funds that he would “invest”

Recent Examples on the Web The point, however, is not to entertain the driver/employee but to cozen the owner. — Dan Neil, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2017

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