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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in swindling
Related Words
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defrauding
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
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
Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 20 Apr. 2026
Next the hosts talk about a lawsuit involving Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, who has accused his parents of defrauding him.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 16 Apr. 2026
He was sentenced in June 2022 to 48 months in prison for identity theft and defrauding a former client and ordered to pay Clifford $148,000 in restitution.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
One person was arrested in Idaho and another in LA for allegedly defrauding a West Coast labor union’s health care plans.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
The LinkedIn post that McCormick allegedly responded to with an emoji touted a court verdict that could cost Musk upwards of $2 billion for defrauding Twitter investors.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Holmes qualified for the reduced term under a 2023 rule change allowing first-time offenders to do less time for some non-violent crimes, according to an order issued Thursday by the federal judge who sentenced her in 2022 for defrauding investors in her blood-testing startup.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Snyder previously asked for a new trial on his conviction for defrauding the IRS in federal court filings in October 2025.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Jurors were asked to decide if two tweets and comments Musk made on a podcast in May 2022 amounted to him intentionally defrauding shareholders who sold their stock based on his statements.
—Staff, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
Her defrauding of the Foundation, however, surpassed that figure as FBI agents dug deeper into her theft.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
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
Verb
After the pardon, Schwartz still had to return to Arkansas in late December to serve nine months in prison for defrauding the state’s Medicaid program.
—Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 20 Apr. 2026
Next the hosts talk about a lawsuit involving Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, who has accused his parents of defrauding him.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 16 Apr. 2026
He was sentenced in June 2022 to 48 months in prison for identity theft and defrauding a former client and ordered to pay Clifford $148,000 in restitution.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
One person was arrested in Idaho and another in LA for allegedly defrauding a West Coast labor union’s health care plans.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
The LinkedIn post that McCormick allegedly responded to with an emoji touted a court verdict that could cost Musk upwards of $2 billion for defrauding Twitter investors.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Holmes qualified for the reduced term under a 2023 rule change allowing first-time offenders to do less time for some non-violent crimes, according to an order issued Thursday by the federal judge who sentenced her in 2022 for defrauding investors in her blood-testing startup.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Snyder previously asked for a new trial on his conviction for defrauding the IRS in federal court filings in October 2025.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Jurors were asked to decide if two tweets and comments Musk made on a podcast in May 2022 amounted to him intentionally defrauding shareholders who sold their stock based on his statements.
—Staff, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defrauding
Adjective
-
The state agency that oversees Medicaid has been under scrutiny after the discovery of millions of dollars in potentially fraudulent payments.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The documents describe an elaborate hoax in which the defendants allegedly created fake companies and fraudulent email accounts and driver’s licenses to help fool lenders into loaning them huge sums of money.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Her lawyers, Giuseppe Iannaccone and Marcello Bana, have denied there was a case of grand larceny, which would include fraud and swindling.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Naumann also did Loughlin’s hair for this March outing, which marked the mother and daughters’ first red-carpet appearance together since the 2019 college admissions cheating scandal.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Just days before the Love Island USA Season 7 reunion aired, cheating rumors began circulating online.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Laptop twee tries to pretend those simpler times are accessible, which makes for exaggerated, juvenile glee—a dishonest document of 2026, but a wildly appealing one.—
Samuel Hyland,
Pitchfork,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The election took place amid a surge in violent crime and corruption that has fueled widespread discontent among voters, who largely view candidates as dishonest and unprepared for the presidency.—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Higher oil prices have sharply increased operating expenses for shipping firms, squeezing margins and forcing governments, including Hong Kong, to step in with temporary support.—
Lee Ying Shan,Emily Tan,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
-
At the same time, China has rapidly expanded capacity in its drive to become more self-sufficient, contributing to a global glut of product and squeezing European companies.—
Marilen Martin,
Bloomberg,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For me, the possible false note lay not in Aramayo’s performance but in the script.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Local police too, have stated that false posts circulating in WhatsApp groups, including claims of worker deaths and exaggerated reports of violence and arrests, have contributed to the escalation of unrest.—
Mayu Saini,
Footwear News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Braves players worked on hustling first to third on a soft single to the outfield, or breaking toward home on a dribbler in the infield.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, McCutchen walked for the fourth straight game and beat out an infield single, hustling hard to first on a squibber down the third base line.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For some, working with soil evokes nostalgia for childhood summers, smelling thorny roses in bloom and plucking ripe tomatoes off the vine.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Brawley hires football coach After a months-long search, Brawley High School has hired a football coach, plucking Rick Stewart away from Calipatria.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defrauding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defrauding. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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