Synonym Chooser

How does the verb cozen contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of cozen are cheat, defraud, and swindle. While all these words mean "to get something by dishonesty or deception," cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.

always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars

Where would cheat be a reasonable alternative to cozen?

The words cheat and cozen can be used in similar contexts, but cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

When would defraud be a good substitute for cozen?

In some situations, the words defraud and cozen are roughly equivalent. However, 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

When can swindle be used instead of cozen?

While in some cases nearly identical to cozen, swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence.

swindled of their savings by con artists

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 cozen The point, however, is not to entertain the driver/employee but to cozen the owner. Dan Neil, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cozen
Verb
  • This requires honesty, particularly self-honesty, as leaders can deceive themselves with what seems like progress.
    Dmitry Malin, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The band’s attorneys said that consumers could be easily deceived by the products allegedly sold on the marketplace, which could, in turn, cause reputational damage for Twenty One Pilots and its legitimate products.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Student use of artificial intelligence has become so prevalent, high school and college educators say, that to assign writing outside of the classroom is like asking students to cheat.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
  • There are things worse than cheating.
    Essence, Essence, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Hurricanes explained by Ginger Zee Don't be fooled by the lack of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Basin.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • After driving his team to the 1-yard line, Fields fooled the entire Steelers defense on a fourth down, faking a handoff and then high-stepping into the end zone untouched to take a 32-31 lead.
    Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Yet there’s a relaxed comfort to dinner in the airy concrete-floored loft, starting with the Taiwanese sausage that arrives as an early bite, wedged into homemade brioche like a tiny hot dog and plucked up between two fingers.
    The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The Orioles plucked him in the Rule 5 draft after a tragic plane crash claimed their top catching prospect.
    Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Still, Genians suspects the Kimsuky group was able to develop a workaround, also known as jailbreak, to trick ChatGPT into creating the IDs.
    Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
  • But in reality, deepfakes are getting better and the threat industry has many years of experience in honing lures to trick people, playing on emotions and overcoming natural suspicions and objections.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The lakes froze thick enough to skate across, the air stung sharp in the lungs, and the game every boy seemed to dream about was hockey.
    Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
  • It’s revealed that Sklar was Lori’s inspiration as a child to become an artist, only to crush that spark a dozen or so years later with stinging cruelty.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The shakeups are the latest at a time when restaurants are squeezed between a labor shortage, rising food prices and a loss of customers as diners cut back on spending.
    Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
  • For now, the three youngest each sleep in their own pack-and-plays squeezed into their parents’ bedroom.
    Jeff Truesdell, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Instead of hustling for one-day bookings, Patel engineered a system where one client often meant three to five events—maximizing return and loyalty.
    Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Farnaz Farjam, one of the show’s executive producers, told Deadline that the production hustled to find a way to capture all three elements.
    Peter White, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cozen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cozen. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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