defraud

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb defraud contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of defraud are cheat, cozen, and swindle. While all these words mean "to get something by dishonesty or deception," 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 might cheat be a better fit than defraud?

While in some cases nearly identical to defraud, cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

When would cozen be a good substitute for defraud?

The words cozen and defraud can be used in similar contexts, but 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 swindle be a reasonable alternative to defraud?

In some situations, the words swindle and defraud are roughly equivalent. However, 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 defraud Now Middlesex was being sued by a New Jersey man who claimed he had been defrauded of $133,565 in a cryptocurrency scheme. Cezary Podkul, ProPublica, 25 June 2025 When the case involving Marquez Cortes, the man who defrauded Gutierrez Saragon, finally went to trial, he was found guilty and a superior court judge ordered him to pay three installments totaling $66,000 in restitution or face a two-year prison sentence. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025 Pullman and Lynch were convicted by a federal jury of one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of honest services wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 3 June 2025 The couple were convicted of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans as well as tax evasion and sentenced to 12 and seven years, respectively. Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for defraud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defraud
Verb
  • President Donald Trump's rapid pullback of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has cost Americans at least $18 billion in higher fees and lost compensation for consumers allegedly cheated by major companies, according to an analysis released Tuesday by two organizations.
    Douglas Gillison, USA Today, 25 June 2025
  • But they didn’t get cheated this spring, not with three rousing blasts from the past: Against the Pistons, against the Celtics, against the Pacers.
    Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Paul Blackburn, with plenty of starting experience for Oakland, could squeeze into the picture too – especially if the Mets decide to try a six-man rotation that would save wear and tear on each man.
    Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • When pancake is ready to flip, squeeze the cinnamon mixture into a swirl shape on top of the pancake batter, pressing the tip of the bag slightly into the batter.
    Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Born and raised in a tiny town northeast of Toronto, she was plucked out of a concert crowd by two modeling scouts.
    John McDermott, HollywoodReporter, 19 June 2025
  • Several productive players already were plucked from portal during SDSU’s coaching search, so Vance will need to act quickly to improve the roster.
    Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • So the Marian commit hustled home on junior left fielder Nevaeh Rangel’s flyout in the ninth inning, trying to break a scoreless tie.
    Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025
  • What comes through is the steely resolve that all top producers have – and need – to hustle film and TV projects into production, but also a desire to be completely connected to the creative.
    Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • What to know: Free to enter; no lifeguards or facilities and the salty water can sting cuts or irritate sensitive skin.
    Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2025
  • The Atlanta Braves have won consecutive series since dropping six in a row, though losing Sunday’s series finale to the Rockies despite Grant Holmes’ 15 strikeouts stung.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • The person is not trying to deceive or control, but the behavior still affects others and requires self awareness and growth to correct.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2025
  • Where was this sense of urgency when the mullahs were attempting to deceive U.N. inspectors while sandbagging U.S. efforts to diplomatically scuttle the country’s nuclear efforts?
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • They were convicted along with their accountant of bilking banks out of more than $36 million.
    Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 29 May 2025
  • In a story published this month, ProPublica detailed how Carrier bilked millions of dollars from scores of investors across Texas, including both wealthy businesspeople and older adults of more modest means who depended on the investment income for daily expenses.
    Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • The expectation is set early in the series, when an alderman who tries to swindle George bankrupts himself in the process, then kills himself in shame.
    Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
  • After Friedman swindled the Red Sox to acquire Betts in 2020, Walter inked the former American League MVP to a contract extension worth $365 million.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 19 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Defraud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defraud. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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