conned 1 of 3

past tense of con

conned

2 of 3

verb (2)

past tense of con
1
2

conned

3 of 3

verb (3)

past tense of conn
as in steered
to operate or control the course of there was white-knuckle tension as the captain conned the gunboat through the mine-infested harbor

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 conned
Verb
My mother was conned twice — once by a Ponzi scheme, once by a diagnosis that dressed up as good health for too many years. Marissa Stapley, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026 The centerpiece of his recent column is a list of quarterly rate increases after reform passed, presented as proof consumers were conned. David Wilson, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026 One of Sharma's gangster associates tells Keefe that once Sharma realized he'd been conned, there was no way Zac was leaving the apartment alive. Frank Langfitt, NPR, 4 Apr. 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 Women who could be trampled by men, conned, deceived. Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026 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 So there's some serious temptation to fall back to old habits when they're critter-napped by a new crew called the Bad Girls and conned into stealing an experimental rocket. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conned
Verb
  • Jeannette Caruth learned Spanish solely through conversation and invites you to become more familiar with the language.
    Kris Slugg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026
  • The 6-foot-1, 190-pound wide receiver learned his lessons, which resulted in a slew of accomplishments.
    Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • After 90 days the squid were removed from the tanks and euthanized, and their brains were scanned using magnetic resonance imaging.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 9 July 2026
  • Armed with a basket and a stick, her keen eyes scanned the damp, leafy undergrowth.
    Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • Hell may hath no fury like a Red Devils squad feeling cheated after the shocking FIFA decision to allow Balogun to play tonight in Seattle.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Billups is accused of participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games tied to La Cosa Nostra organized crime families that cheated unsuspecting gamblers out of at least $7 million.
    Ed White, Twin Cities, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • Ricky Saints tricked the referee into thinking Lil Yachty used the kendo stick on him, and after traveling all the way to Riyadh, Yachty was tossed out just minutes into the match.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
  • While the war ended years before, the hostility spread from the stands — with skirmishes among supporters — into the field, when Maradona tricked the referee and the world with the World Cup’s most infamous goal, punching the ball into the net with his fist above England’s goalie Peter Shilton.
    Gabriel Sama, Mercury News, 21 June 2026
Verb
  • Some conservative lawmakers counter that the ballot measure would undercut provisions in the state constitution meant to limit government spending and ensure excess tax revenue is steered to infrastructure or back to taxpayers as rebates.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
  • You are steered through an astonishing limestone canyon, crossing turquoise water where only tiny snails and blind shrimp are capable of living.
    James Rampton, TheWeek, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • Based on the benefits of seawater, this therapy was already recognized in the 1960s in France, where Farnós studied at one of Europe’s oldest thalassotherapy and functional rehabilitation centers in Collioure.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 2026
  • Research on how rage specifically affects women’s careers is thin, partly because research on women’s occupational health during midlife is thin across the board, and partly because rage so infrequently has been studied on its own.
    Dr. Sarah Berg, Time, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • Rizzo and his team examined the media consumption of 593 white children from across America.
    Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
  • Detectives later examined Roper's cellphone and confirmed those communications had been deleted, the affidavit states.
    Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • Angela George The program's pacing and energy feel hustled this evening as organizers try to make up for two hours lost because of storms earlier in the day.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • He was hustled by Charlie Parker and was part of the American delegation at the inauguration of his good friend Nelson Mandela.
    Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 3 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Conned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conned. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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