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
  • In the decades that followed, Freeman, who died in 2025, assembled a vast array of literary fakes, collecting books whose content is deceiving in nature.
    Big Think, Big Think, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Experts have warned that such videos may go viral and deceive voters, potentially increasing voter distrust in the media and political system more generally.
    James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But things got particularly ugly in the most recent reunion episode, in which Adriana de Moura not only leaned on lesbophobic and biphobic rhetoric, but also claimed that Julia Lemigova (who is famously married to renowned TERF Martina Navratilova) has been cheating for years.
    James Factora, Them., 10 Oct. 2025
  • Then de Moura decided to drop a few bombshells of her own, accusing her former bestie of not just cheating with her but with two men.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Do not let the dashing green velvet suit, the yellow leather gloves, the silk cravat or the pencil-thin mustache, a tonsorial touch that suggests the matinee idols of yesteryear, fool you.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
  • But don’t be fooled into thinking that’s the norm.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • With the Giants plucking concepts from Ole Miss’ offense, Dart’s comfort level was obvious.
    Dan Duggan, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Tradition meets contemporary design with this sculptural vessel that looks like it was plucked from a contemporary art exhibition.
    Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Hackers often use look-alike domains to trick you into thinking the site is real.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Hackers are using the messaging app Telegram and fake websites that impersonate brands to trick users into installing the malware, which will masquerade as popular apps, including TikTok, YouTube, and Google Photos.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Chiefs have been on the wrong side of fourth-quarter closeness this year (0-3 after Monday night’s slippery loss, which had to sting).
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The production was plagued by hurricanes, tsunami warnings, stinging jellyfish and several injuries — including Costner, who almost died while riding out a storm stranded atop a mast after his safety line had snapped.
    Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Freeman took rookie Chad Patrick deep for the first Dodgers run, and his teammates squeezed a second run out of Brewers closer Abner Uribe in the ninth.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Nara announced the cute name in a post on her Instagram showing little Fawnie curled up in soft blankets, along with a video clip squeezing her tiny hand.
    Sarah Scott, Parents, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • From rushing out of the office to get party-ready, or hustling through the airport and reuniting with loved ones, to finally arriving at a glamorous night out with friends, each scene conveys merriment and personal style set against the backdrop of New York City.
    Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Alongside her siblings, one of her first moments hustling was selling drinks to visitors who were on vacation.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cozen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cozen. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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