as in scam
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
the explanation was so plausible that I never suspected it was all a con to make off with my car
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to study
to commit to memory
usually candidates con their entire campaign speech, right down to the jokes they supposedly ad-lib
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to scan
to look over closely (as for judging quality or condition)
seemed to be conning his face for any sign of uncertainty
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
a fly-by-night operator who had conned hundreds of would-be homeowners out of their hard-earned money
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to trick
to cause to believe what is untrue
tried to con me into thinking that he had actually won the lottery
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of con
Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
On the con side, the B’s hope to fill in some roster spots with younger players over the next years with James Hagens, Will Zellers, Dean Letourneau and/or Matt Poitras and signing a veteran like Arvidsson could create a log-jam.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Dakota Root, who was conned into depositing $1,200 into a crypto ATM at a Circle K in Indiana, said the experience changed his perception of the neighborhood store.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for con
Noun
The pros and cons of fiber-optic guidance Ukrainian forces have pushed standard FPV drones to ranges of 50 to 60 kilometers by integrating Starlink links, relay drones, and mothership launch platforms.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
On the con side, the B’s hope to fill in some roster spots with younger players over the next years with James Hagens, Will Zellers, Dean Letourneau and/or Matt Poitras and signing a veteran like Arvidsson could create a log-jam.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
What makes this case different is that key backers of the measure got conned, too.
—Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Dakota Root, who was conned into depositing $1,200 into a crypto ATM at a Circle K in Indiana, said the experience changed his perception of the neighborhood store.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for con
Cite this Entry
“Con.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/con. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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