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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of con
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
While the unpredictable nature is a major hurdle, the Dishmans — who travel full-time — insist the pros outweigh the cons.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Nationwide, scammers in 2024 conned Americans for $119 billion, an amount similar in size to the economy of New Hampshire, according to the report.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for con
Noun
Here, a weed control expert weighs the pros and cons of different ways to get rid of poison ivy and shares the most effective way to kill poison ivy effectively and permanently.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
While the unpredictable nature is a major hurdle, the Dishmans — who travel full-time — insist the pros outweigh the cons.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
Verb
Often these are aimed at either conning applicants into paying up-front fees or providing personal information that the scammers later use to gain access to credit in the victim’s name.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Nationwide, scammers in 2024 conned Americans for $119 billion, an amount similar in size to the economy of New Hampshire, according to the report.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for con
Recent Examples of Synonyms for con
Noun
-
Levi observed that the prisoners with no knowledge of German—in other words, almost all of the Italians—died shortly after their arrival.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
-
With Pope Francis’ assistance, Biden officials turned their efforts to the 553 prisoners the regime would give up.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
But his eventual unraveling included accusations of misappropriated funds, his resignation, a bizarre alleged suicide-for-hire and insurance scam plot, a stint in rehab for drug addiction, dozens of financial crimes, his disbarment and, ultimately, the murder charges.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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According to court documents, Yves Bouvier purchased the work for $60 million privately from Sotheby’s, then sold it to Dmitry Rybolovlev for $85 million, part of the series of markups that constituted the alleged scam.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The Psyche team is also coordinating its observations during the flyby with those of the Mars orbiters that are accustomed to studying the Red Planet all the time.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
-
Research money to study the only hantavirus transmitted from person to person — the same strain that broke out on the cruise ship — dried up.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Monongalia County Clerk Carye Blaney said for several years her county has used an electronic system to scan bar codes on the back of driver’s licenses to check in voters at polling places.—
John Raby,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
Passengers are screened, scanned and checked multiple times before ever stepping onto a plane.—
Shelley Bortz,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Though that 2017 championship is marred by one of the most egregious cheating scandals in baseball history.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
The penalty killers can’t cheat towards one or two guys.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Anchoring, scarcity and choice architecture aren’t about tricking people.—
David Meade,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
-
The church hosts sure love tricking us into eating raw broccoli by serving it up in this creamy pasta salad.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Despite the obvious danger to the convicts, Jackson underscored how popular the spectacle was.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 May 2026
-
The Wu-Tang Clan founder directed, wrote and produced the revenge thriller that follows an ex-military convict (Shameik Moore) seeking redemption in a small town.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Still a lot more to learn Gary said archaeology has been ongoing at Colonial Williamsburg since 1928.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
These are the lessons Chelsea should learn from those matches.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Con.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/con. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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