Synonyms of defrauding

defrauding 1 of 3

adjective

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

• fraudulent
• dishonest
• false
• deceptive
• misleading
• deceitful
• crooked
• deceiving
• double-dealing
• duplicitous
• specious
• deluding
• beguiling
• delusive
• fallacious
• delusory
• spurious

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• honest
• truthful
• legitimate
• true
• valid
• aboveboard

defrauding

2 of 3

noun

as in swindling

Related Words

• swindling
• cheating
• skinning
• extortion
• chiseling
• gouging
• highway robbery
• fleecing
• overcharging

defrauding

3 of 3

verb

present participle of defraud

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

• cheating
• squeezing
• hustling
• plucking
• stinging
• screwing
• beating
• swindling
• bilking
• sticking
• deceiving
• fleecing
• doing
• victimizing
• conning
• shortchanging
• mulcting
• tricking
• bleeding
• exploiting
• rooking
• stiffing
• suckering
• shorting
• chiseling
• fiddling
• diddling
• reaming
• fooling
• cozening
• betraying
• shaking down
• gaffing
• hosing
• extorting
• ripping off
• skinning
• nobbling
• chousing
• euchring
• flimflamming
• doing in
• thimblerigging
• overcharging
• taking for a ride
• taking to the cleaners
• gouging
• duping
• wrenching
• skunking
• selling a bill of goods to
• clipping
• milking
• gulling
• nicking
• wresting
• wringing
• soaking
• double-crossing
• bamboozling
• bitching
• roping (in)
• fast-talking

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of defrauding

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

Last month, 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. — Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026

The Justice Department unveiled this case against it, essentially arguing that SPLC had been defrauding its donors by paying informants within far-right groups who were infiltrating those groups. — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026

Or someone is defrauding the government by claiming benefits not due them. — Tony Lobl, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026

An Orange County real estate investor accused of criminally defrauding an Arizona bank of nearly $100 million pleaded not guilty Monday and remains in custody. — Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Guo, who also goes by Miles Guo and Ho Wan Kwok, was convicted of defrauding thousands of his supporters in July 2024. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 30 June 2026

Filmmaker Carl Erik Rinsch was sentenced on Monday to 30 months in prison after being convicted of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026

Of those, eight were accused of defrauding the Housing Stabilization Services program, which the Minnesota Department of Human Services shut down last year over fraud concerns. — Riley Moser, CBS News, 23 June 2026

In a scandal that rocked the business, Davis was fired from Columbia in May 1973, accused of defrauding the company of $94,000 in expense-account violations, including paying for his son Fred’s bar mitzvah and a renovation of his apartment. — Jennifer Frederick, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026