Thesaurus results for DEFRAUD

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

defraud

verb

di-ˈfrȯd

Definition of defraud

as in to cheat

to rob by the use of trickery or threats senior citizens generally were too smart to fall for the fast-talking salesman's attempts to defraud them

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Earlier this year, Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of at least $248 million. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 Silbert is facing several multibillion-dollar lawsuits accusing him of defrauding investors. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 Two men, one of whom posed as a player for the San Francisco 49ers, have been arrested and charged in a scheme that allegedly defrauded more than two dozen women out of more than $1 million, federal authorities said. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 In May, Kapoor pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to defraud the United States for failing to remit his employees’ payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare benefits between 2020 and 2022. — Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defraud

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defraud

Verb

Some of the common concerns addressed by the guidance include the privacy of student data being input into AI systems, the potential for cheating and emphasis on human input and verification.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
In an atmosphere of uncertainty—and given prevailing concerns about students using AI to cheat—such bans would seem to make some sense.

— Sian Leah Beilock, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of cheat

Verb

As more homes come onto the market and mortgage rates remain elevated, sellers are increasingly adjusting prices to attract buyers who have been squeezed by affordability challenges.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
The surge has raised concerns that higher gasoline prices could squeeze household budgets and weigh on consumer spending.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of squeeze

Verb

That’s what life is like for NFL players who were plucked off the waiver wire last week, or those who have signed with a new team last week after not making their old team’s initial 53-man roster.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2026
Last January Nessie O’Neil, a graduate student in biology at Miami University in Ohio, watched as a young pygmy raccoon plucked a receipt from the paper trash.

— Isabel Gil, Scientific American, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of pluck

Verb

His play-by-play recall might mention the runner who hustled to beat out a double play or the pitchers who kept it close in the later innings.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Facing questions about a totally different set of Piker comments, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hustled into an elevator.

— Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of hustle

Verb

Williams will not be charged because Heggebo’s offence was successfully deceiving a match official.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Your eyes aren't deceiving you — the little delivery robots rolling down Washington DC streets are becoming a more common sight.

— Mike Stunson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of deceive

Verb

Joseph Sanberg, co-founder of the company, pleaded guilty in October to federal charges of conspiring to bilk investors out of $248 million and on June 1 was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Sophisticated online fraud schemes, operating from industrial-scale scam centers in Southeast Asia, are bilking Americans out of billions of dollars each year.

— Editorial Board, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of bilk

Verb

He’s accused of swindling an elderly Tarrant County resident out of between $30,000 and $150,000, the indictment states.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026
Other gamblers just don’t want to get swindled, so anything that smacks too clearly of insider trading can get you in trouble.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of swindle

Browse Nearby Words

deforms

defraud

defrauded

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“Defraud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defraud. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of defraud

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