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
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Recent Examples of defrauded
Watson, the once-prominent Denver developer behind Northstar Commercial Partners, and his firm were found by nine jurors to have defrauded investors in 11 real estate projects in Colorado and beyond by pledging to invest 5% of their own equity and then not doing so.
—
Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
Tanyika Rickard, a community manager with Chase Bank in Philadelphia, who works directly with customers who have been targeted or defrauded, said scammers often spend months building trust before ever bringing up money.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Jacobus also defrauded members of his own family.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
In 2006, a joint investigation run by the FBI and IRS – Operation Bullpen – busted a nationwide forgery ring that defrauded collectors of more than $100 million, and just last year, an Indiana man admitted to selling some $350 million worth of fake gear over the span of 20 years.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Authorities said Kates defrauded the state Department of Labor of $217,056 by filing fraudulent unemployment applications with the agency for her family, acquaintances, and others, from March 2020 through May 2021.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
Things eventually come to a head back in Cairo, where local police arrest Roper and his team, only for the enraged buyers, who were defrauded due to Pine's intervention, to seize the convoy.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Tourists seeking to visit the Statue of Liberty were defrauded daily by unscrupulous ticket-hawkers pitching water tours departing miles away that charge high prices and can’t land on Liberty Island.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Another agency investigation revealed that a former CPS employee defrauded the district of potentially more than $135,000 over three years by reporting false or inflated work hours, the report said.
—Hope Moses, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
Tanyika Rickard, a community manager with Chase Bank in Philadelphia, who works directly with customers who have been targeted or defrauded, said scammers often spend months building trust before ever bringing up money.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Jacobus also defrauded members of his own family.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
In 2006, a joint investigation run by the FBI and IRS – Operation Bullpen – busted a nationwide forgery ring that defrauded collectors of more than $100 million, and just last year, an Indiana man admitted to selling some $350 million worth of fake gear over the span of 20 years.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Authorities said Kates defrauded the state Department of Labor of $217,056 by filing fraudulent unemployment applications with the agency for her family, acquaintances, and others, from March 2020 through May 2021.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
Things eventually come to a head back in Cairo, where local police arrest Roper and his team, only for the enraged buyers, who were defrauded due to Pine's intervention, to seize the convoy.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Tourists seeking to visit the Statue of Liberty were defrauded daily by unscrupulous ticket-hawkers pitching water tours departing miles away that charge high prices and can’t land on Liberty Island.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Another agency investigation revealed that a former CPS employee defrauded the district of potentially more than $135,000 over three years by reporting false or inflated work hours, the report said.
—Hope Moses, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defrauded
Verb
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To sum up the series finale’s key moments, in the college timeline, Bree (Cat Missal), in a rage of anger after finding out that Lucy (Grace Van Patten) was the person Evan (Branden Cook) had cheated with, releases the tape of Lucy admitting to lying about being raped.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
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Ustyugov was also a part of the Russian relay team that won the gold medal in the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and was found to have cheated ahead of that season as well.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Las Vegas Raiders plucked away offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and hired him as their head coach.—
Andrew Destin,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
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The Angel Hold Hair Styling Cream gives expensive-looking waves and smooth, frizz-free hair that looks like you just got plucked up from a Greek vacation.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Cowboys have also reiterated that the loss of Jourdan Lewis stung them this season.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Further down the supply chain, former Army Ranger Patrick Montgomery, who runs KC Cattle Company, located outside Kansas City, Missouri, has been stung by high prices.—
Enda Curran,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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His attacker, the man in black, was hustled off the stage.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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As the lights came up, Taylor had already been hustled out, as had Arnaud.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Small businesses and farmers got squeezed.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
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Vendors built on per-seat licensing and static tools are seeing their economics squeezed as AI systems compress development timelines and reduce maintenance overhead.—
David Stout,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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They are typically screwed into the snow and often cemented in by water that turns to ice.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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Smaller version of the quakes at home Think of a plastic water bottle filled to the rim with the cap firmly screwed on.—
Tammie Souza,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This was partly out of deference to a president who thinks not of enemies but only of potential counterparties to be bargained with, bullied, swindled, or accommodated.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
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But the attempt at humor didn’t satisfy some angry fans who believe Mets President David Stearns swindled Getz in a trade that essentially was a salary dump.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And don’t be deceived by Saturday’s sunny skies as the high will be 32 with wind chills as low as 9 degrees.—
Amanda McCoy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2026
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Challengers should give Marylanders the option to choose a new direction and remove the need to confront the painful reality that they were deceived.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defrauded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defrauded. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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