cozening

verb

present participle of cozen
1
as in deceiving
to cause to believe what is untrue cozened several elderly ladies into believing that he was intending marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats cozened scores of people by persuading them to hand over funds that he would "invest"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cozening
  1. deceiving
  2. cheating
  3. tricking
  4. plucking
  5. fooling
  6. stinging
  7. squeezing
  8. hustling
Verb
  • The first rule of thumb—and a solid piece of advice to live by—is that looks can be deceiving.
    — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 1 Nov. 2026
  • But looks are deceiving in this case – just like the 3X Plus and 3X before it, the trailer stretches out via three individual telescopic segments that emerge at the push of a button.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceiving
Verb
  • But wealthy migrants are also being courted by companies to pay thousands in exchange for help with cheating the system.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 13 Nov. 2026
  • School districts across the nation, including Chicago Public Schools, have been publicly wrestling with AI integration in the classroom amid ongoing concerns about cheating and short-circuiting student learning.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • Elaborate fraud callers using AI chatbots are even tricking people into handing over their life savings, May says.
    — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 11 Nov. 2026
  • There’s nothing better than tricking a mature buck into pinning his ears back and approaching you, ready for a fight.
    — Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of tricking
Verb
  • According to a case report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the doctors gave the man a topical treatment to numb his eyes and then began plucking out the worms one by one with fine forceps.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Pai Skincare Bright Now Exfoliating Toner, $49 Organic is not as simple as plucking some flowers and putting them on your face.
    — Brianna Peters, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of plucking
Verb
  • His Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Jessep isn’t fooling anyone with the calculated nonchalance and the propensity for quoting Melville and Shakespeare.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Scammers had been fooling Apple by returning iPhone boxes with the original accessories, internal components, or even the phone itself swapped out.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fooling
Verb
  • Darchiev, a veteran diplomat known for his stinging condemnations of the West, had served as ambassador to Washington since March 2025.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026
  • On Tuesday, Americans issued a stinging rebuke of data centers at the polls.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of stinging
Verb
  • However, for platforms such as Meta, once users actively opt out of these features, user dwell time on platforms could shrink, squeezing advertising revenue potential.
    — , CNBC, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Inflation was stubbornly high in October, Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Tuesday shows, a sign that the costs squeezing South Florida wallets hardest — particularly energy and housing –– remain elevated.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • That urgency has marked Holden’s prolific output—especially the thrilling first installment of his Supreme Magnetic series in 2025 and 2022’s Joe Frog—as the Harlem rapper uses his street-hustling past to paint an autobiographical portrait.
    — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The 30-second teaser sees Jackson hustling around town, making money and recruiting his team of crooks.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hustling
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.

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cozeners
cozening
cozens
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Cite this Entry

“Cozening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cozening. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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