as in cheated
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defrauded
One recent scam involved an executive of an international firm being defrauded out of millions of dollars, by a scammer using deepfake technology.
—
Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The group allegedly defrauded victims of at least $50,000 that night.
—Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Federal authorities launched an investigation, dubbed Operation Zhen Diagram, into a nationwide gambling ring allegedly involving members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families who allegedly defrauded unwitting victims of millions.
—Ryan Morik , Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Caleb MutuaVinícius Andrade BankingBankruptcy Top investment bank CEO says he was ‘defrauded’ by the bankruptcy that’s rattling Wall Street.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
In 2018 Marti DeLiemaof the University of Minnesota observed that the lack of a trustworthy network of friends or family best distinguished the older adults who had been defrauded from those who had not.
—Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2025
Still, defrauded Coloradans routinely lost thousands of dollars in these schemes.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
Feeding Our Future defrauded the government of $250 million in federal funds from a pandemic-era meal program.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
Ballmer has stated that he was defrauded by Sanberg, who has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of fraud (Aspiration is bankrupt).
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The group allegedly defrauded victims of at least $50,000 that night.
—Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Federal authorities launched an investigation, dubbed Operation Zhen Diagram, into a nationwide gambling ring allegedly involving members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families who allegedly defrauded unwitting victims of millions.
—Ryan Morik , Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Caleb MutuaVinícius Andrade BankingBankruptcy Top investment bank CEO says he was ‘defrauded’ by the bankruptcy that’s rattling Wall Street.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
In 2018 Marti DeLiemaof the University of Minnesota observed that the lack of a trustworthy network of friends or family best distinguished the older adults who had been defrauded from those who had not.
—Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2025
Still, defrauded Coloradans routinely lost thousands of dollars in these schemes.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
Feeding Our Future defrauded the government of $250 million in federal funds from a pandemic-era meal program.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
Ballmer has stated that he was defrauded by Sanberg, who has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of fraud (Aspiration is bankrupt).
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defrauded
Verb
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The fractures within the group, however — with some of the cast siding with Ariana Madix (who’d been cheated on), and others agreeing to film with Tom Sandoval (who had cheated) — made filming for Season 11 mostly unsustainainable.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
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Overall, prosecutors allege the nearly three-dozen defendants cheated unfortunate players out of at least $7 million.—
Ben Brachfeld,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An all-star cast plucked from different corners of the pop culture firmament leads Ryan Murphy's All's Fair, a Hulu legal drama about female divorce attorneys who open their own practice.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Such is life in Marthaland, where homemaking tasks are plucked from the realm of everyday drudgery and elevated to a pure pursuit of excellence.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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An American teacher and his teenage son have been stung to death while on holiday in Laos.—
Christian Orozco,
NBC news,
5 Nov. 2025
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An American father and son died after being stung by a swarm of hornets while ziplining in Southeast Asia, local officials confirmed.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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All that was between him and a defender was Stafford, who hustled to get into position before offering a chicken wing of a block.—
Nate Atkins,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
But Boberg, a freshman defender, hustled to the goal line to block the attempt.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Another passenger squeezed her way up the aisle to try to make a tight connection.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
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De’Von Achane took the handoff, squeezed through the hole, blasted past a diving defender at midfield and outraced the rest of the Bills’ defense to the end zone.—
Steve Gorten,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And, as usual, the people with the fewest resources will get screwed.—
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
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No matter what Robert does, he’s totally screwed.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Black residents who got swindled out of land could not turn to the courts.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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In just two years Farm Bank had allegedly swindled some $250 million from 132,000 investors.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In fact, the term itself was an epithet throughout the founding era, a way to describe ignorant and easily deceived popular majorities, perpetually vulnerable to demagogues.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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Of course someone like Denji would fall for it, and in a way, the desire to be deceived is actually an important aspect of romantic feelings.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defrauded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defrauded. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
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