as in fraudulent
marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
every new technology has brought with it a raft of defrauding schemes that make full use of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cheating
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
as in swindling
Related Words
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 defrauding
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Her alleged defrauding of the Jackson Health Foundation, however, extended well beyond Miami, according to an indictment and other court records.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
Gumrukcu is accused of defrauding Davis for years.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
She is being held at the same facility as disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in prison for defrauding investors with her medical startup.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
Part of sale to pay restitution In 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison for engaging in several fraudulent schemes related to Fyre Festival, including defrauding investors out of $26 million and more than $100,000 in fraudulent ticket-selling schemes.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
In May, Gatlin was arrested on charges of defrauding her former employer, including fabricating fake invoices from vendors such as Jones and receiving kickbacks from them.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
He was eventually sentenced to six years in jail for defrauding investors.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Aspiration, whose founder Joseph Sanberg recently pled guilty to defrauding investors and lenders, filed for bankruptcy in March, with the Clippers listed as the company’s largest creditor with over $30 million owed.
—Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Loans are also sometimes discharged in cases of schools defrauding students.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
And what could be more legitimate of a cause for removing a governor of the nation's central bank—which is, among other things, the lender of last resort to the country's financial institutions—than the alleged defrauding of those very financial institutions?
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Her alleged defrauding of the Jackson Health Foundation, however, extended well beyond Miami, according to an indictment and other court records.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
Wall Street Journal Charlie Javice was convicted of defrauding JPMorgan—but the bank is paying her legal bills.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
Gumrukcu is accused of defrauding Davis for years.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
She is being held at the same facility as disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in prison for defrauding investors with her medical startup.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
Part of sale to pay restitution In 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison for engaging in several fraudulent schemes related to Fyre Festival, including defrauding investors out of $26 million and more than $100,000 in fraudulent ticket-selling schemes.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
In May, Gatlin was arrested on charges of defrauding her former employer, including fabricating fake invoices from vendors such as Jones and receiving kickbacks from them.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
He was eventually sentenced to six years in jail for defrauding investors.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Aspiration, whose founder Joseph Sanberg recently pled guilty to defrauding investors and lenders, filed for bankruptcy in March, with the Clippers listed as the company’s largest creditor with over $30 million owed.
—Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Loans are also sometimes discharged in cases of schools defrauding students.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defrauding
Adjective
-
Jason Clarke is a force as Alex, whose booming charm hides fraudulent business dealings and a growing opioid addiction, while Arquette is Emmy-worthy as the long-suffering but demanding Maggie.—
EW Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The analyst added that the fraudulent nature of the borrowers hints at a unique situation rather than an underlying systematic issue.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But things got particularly ugly in the most recent reunion episode, in which Adriana de Moura not only leaned on lesbophobic and biphobic rhetoric, but also claimed that Julia Lemigova (who is famously married to renowned TERF Martina Navratilova) has been cheating for years.—
James Factora,
Them.,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Then de Moura decided to drop a few bombshells of her own, accusing her former bestie of not just cheating with her but with two men.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Matthiessen, not without reason, portrays the Bureau as paranoid, dishonest, and in league with corporate interests.—
Maggie Doherty,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
For that incredibly dishonest assessment that actually did a disservice to the country, Obama is held up to widespread praise by Democrats and others, even winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Record high inflation and a weak yen are also squeezing households and driving up living costs.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
-
All the while, overall streaming growth has slowed in recent years, squeezing artists’ margins even further.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In his plea agreement, Jones admitted using his company to submit more than $2 million in false bills to the Foundation for audiovisual services.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
-
If convicted of bank fraud or making false statements, the penalties could include up to 30 years in prison and $1 million in fines for each count, the DOJ says.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
From rushing out of the office to get party-ready, or hustling through the airport and reuniting with loved ones, to finally arriving at a glamorous night out with friends, each scene conveys merriment and personal style set against the backdrop of New York City.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Alongside her siblings, one of her first moments hustling was selling drinks to visitors who were on vacation.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Helicopters have been plucking people off rooftops for rescue from flooding and structural damage.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
-
With the Giants plucking concepts from Ole Miss’ offense, Dart’s comfort level was obvious.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The production was plagued by hurricanes, tsunami warnings, stinging jellyfish and several injuries — including Costner, who almost died while riding out a storm stranded atop a mast after his safety line had snapped.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Andreas Helmersen hit the bar while Patrick Berg’s stinging effort was saved by Guglielmo Vicario.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defrauding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defrauding. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share