1
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a conscienceless adventuress who never earned anything except through cheating
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adultery
a sexual encounter or relationship between a married person and someone other than their spouse
she swore that if there was ever any cheating, she'd leave in a heartbeat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dishonest
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in misrepresenting
to use dishonest methods to achieve a goal
students who cheat on tests end up never knowing anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in lying
to be sexually unfaithful
he suspects that his girlfriend is cheating on him
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in disappointing
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
the daredevil survived his plunge over the falls with barely a scratch, having cheated death once again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in hustling
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
a despicable confidence man who heartlessly cheated elderly people out of their savings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cheating
ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
Time and again, the panel of experts invited to provide testimony said voter fraud is exceedingly rare and that there is no evidence of widespread cheating.
—Linh Tat, Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Though outright cheating does not go unpunished, contestants are often rewarded for finding loopholes in the rules and exploiting them.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026
There seems to be a widespread perception that musicians who use artificial intelligence are engaged in a form of cheating.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
There is no rampant cheating or election fraud in California.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Research shows that artificial intelligence tools can support learning, but also has raised concerns, including students’ overreliance, cheating, and the potential degradation of critical thinking and engagement.
—Jeanne Beatrix Law, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Grohl refused to answer additional questions about his cheating, instead suggesting that the Foo Fighters’ upcoming album contains songs and lyrics that allude to it.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Just days before the Love Island USA Season 7 reunion aired, cheating rumors began circulating online.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 16 Apr. 2026
Teachers are certainly no strangers to cheating.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
Everyone in this film has got a con (or five), lying and cheating non-stop, but Wilder doesn't pass judgment.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
One familiar concern about the use of generative AI in schools has long been cheating.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Most people would agree that cheating and planning a school shooting are hardly equal offenses, and Borgli doesn't totally stick the landing by sweeping Emma's past impulses under the rug.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
In the past, Bravo has resumed filming when controversies including its shows have arisen, most notably with the Vanderpump Rules season 10 cheating scandal called Scandoval.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
In fact, cheating in sports has a long and infamous history.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
But even for in-person classes, adaptations to prevent LLM cheating are often concessions that reduce pedagogical quality.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
Time and again, the panel of experts invited to provide testimony said voter fraud is exceedingly rare and that there is no evidence of widespread cheating.
—Linh Tat, Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Though outright cheating does not go unpunished, contestants are often rewarded for finding loopholes in the rules and exploiting them.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026
There seems to be a widespread perception that musicians who use artificial intelligence are engaged in a form of cheating.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
There is no rampant cheating or election fraud in California.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Research shows that artificial intelligence tools can support learning, but also has raised concerns, including students’ overreliance, cheating, and the potential degradation of critical thinking and engagement.
—Jeanne Beatrix Law, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Grohl refused to answer additional questions about his cheating, instead suggesting that the Foo Fighters’ upcoming album contains songs and lyrics that allude to it.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The federation may sanction a player who makes unfounded accusations based on emotion or insufficient data, according to its anti-cheating laws.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
Verb
Naumann also did Loughlin’s hair for this March outing, which marked the mother and daughters’ first red-carpet appearance together since the 2019 college admissions cheating scandal.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Just days before the Love Island USA Season 7 reunion aired, cheating rumors began circulating online.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 16 Apr. 2026
Teachers are certainly no strangers to cheating.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
Everyone in this film has got a con (or five), lying and cheating non-stop, but Wilder doesn't pass judgment.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
One familiar concern about the use of generative AI in schools has long been cheating.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Most people would agree that cheating and planning a school shooting are hardly equal offenses, and Borgli doesn't totally stick the landing by sweeping Emma's past impulses under the rug.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
In the past, Bravo has resumed filming when controversies including its shows have arisen, most notably with the Vanderpump Rules season 10 cheating scandal called Scandoval.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
In fact, cheating in sports has a long and infamous history.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheating
Noun
-
To Elliott, these seemingly minuscule mistakes that were ultimately corrected encapsulate Neon’s deception.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Test your hand-eye coördination and deception skills by maneuvering open windows on your desktop background, answering e-mails and texts and looking at Instagram, all while appearing to be engaged.—
Charles Yu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Bible teaches that lying, stealing, adultery and coveting your neighbor’s property are sins.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The facile novelty of adultery is its own mask, a sexy way of dressing up a deep, frightened longing for security.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Laptop twee tries to pretend those simpler times are accessible, which makes for exaggerated, juvenile glee—a dishonest document of 2026, but a wildly appealing one.—
Samuel Hyland,
Pitchfork,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The election took place amid a surge in violent crime and corruption that has fueled widespread discontent among voters, who largely view candidates as dishonest and unprepared for the presidency.—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ramsey’s attorneys said there are gaps in the case prosecutors presented to the grand jury, including by misrepresenting what the witness reported in the 911 call, and attorney Alfredo Parrish said the grand jury even pushed back.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Noem was removed from her position following demonstrable failures in her management of the Department of Homeland Security, including misrepresenting a $220 million advertising campaign to Congress and inadequate emergency response coordination.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So what is a girl to do with all these Strait of Hormuz punchlines lying around the apartment?—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Continue reading … 'BASELESS' REPORTING — FBI Director Kash Patel calls out 'lying' NBC News reporter at press conference.—
,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Bill Murray, for one, is accustomed to complex if not disappointing sporting dynamics.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
This is a departure for Cornyn, disappointing some defenders of the effective 60-vote threshold for the passage of most legislation in the Senate.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Braves players worked on hustling first to third on a soft single to the outfield, or breaking toward home on a dribbler in the infield.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, McCutchen walked for the fourth straight game and beat out an infield single, hustling hard to first on a squibber down the third base line.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In Los Angeles County alone, hundreds of hospice providers have been flagged with indicators of fraud, pointing to a level of activity that is far more systemic than isolated incidents.—
Tom Koutsoumpas,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
He has been charged by the Justice Department with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.—
Hallie Golden,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cheating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheating. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
