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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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
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
The Cambodian government's recent crackdown has enabled reporters to get a closer look at an industry responsible for defrauding Americans of at least 20 billion dollars in 2025.
—
NPR,
21 June 2026
The plea agreement reasserts that Lillig engaged in a years-long scheme, but only includes details of one instance of Lillig defrauding the church of $500.
—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
In both cases, according to affidavits filed in Osceola County court, they are accused of defrauding the ChampionsGate Community Development District, which hired them to provide law enforcement services and paid them through their personal corporations.
—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
More recently, the Department of Justice charged the Southern Poverty Law Center — a civil rights nonprofit accused by Republicans of targeting conservatives in its work tracking extremists — with defrauding donors through payments to informants.
—
James Pollard,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Last year, she was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for defrauding the bank by overstating the number of customers Frank had.
—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
14 June 2026
Kingston is now in prison serving a 42-month sentence after he was convicted of defrauding multiple vendors out of more than $1 million in luxury items ranging from high-end watches to a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade.
—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 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
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
The Cambodian government's recent crackdown has enabled reporters to get a closer look at an industry responsible for defrauding Americans of at least 20 billion dollars in 2025.
—
NPR,
21 June 2026
The plea agreement reasserts that Lillig engaged in a years-long scheme, but only includes details of one instance of Lillig defrauding the church of $500.
—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
In both cases, according to affidavits filed in Osceola County court, they are accused of defrauding the ChampionsGate Community Development District, which hired them to provide law enforcement services and paid them through their personal corporations.
—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
More recently, the Department of Justice charged the Southern Poverty Law Center — a civil rights nonprofit accused by Republicans of targeting conservatives in its work tracking extremists — with defrauding donors through payments to informants.
—
James Pollard,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Last year, she was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for defrauding the bank by overstating the number of customers Frank had.
—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
14 June 2026
Kingston is now in prison serving a 42-month sentence after he was convicted of defrauding multiple vendors out of more than $1 million in luxury items ranging from high-end watches to a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade.
—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defrauding
Adjective
-
The guardian approved fraudulent time sheets, and Davis paid the guardian kickbacks, the release says.
-
And in late 2025, Grady took on Meta (formerly called Facebook), including its affiliates Instagram and Whatsapp, for allowing fraudulent Chinese investment scams on its platforms.
Noun
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Her lawyers, Giuseppe Iannaccone and Marcello Bana, have denied there was a case of grand larceny, which would include fraud and swindling.
Verb
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For example, a spouse who catches their partner cheating and kills someone in the heat of emotion.
-
Few colleges have developed an intellectual integrity curriculum that treats cheating as a habit and works to counter it over the four years of a student’s college education.
Adjective
-
An honest summary would still pass the buck to the voters on a grossly dishonest scheme, but at least the voters might recognize a description that doesn’t cajole, coax and mislead them.
-
What is obvious is that the only thing as dishonest as FIFA’s insistence that the breaks are only because of its concerns about players’ health is FIFA’s claiming that the stoppages don’t impact matches.
Verb
-
County officials pointed to state budget cuts and a $276,000 drop in liquor revenue as factors squeezing finances.
-
Grip the handles on the sides of the machine, tighten your core, and extend your legs, squeezing your quadriceps (top thigh muscles) at the top.
Adjective
-
According to the department, at the time of the chase, Buban had multiple outstanding arrest warrants against him, including for being a felon in possession of a firearm, taking a vehicle without consent, false impersonation and petty theft.
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According to Peña, a producer relayed the false information to her through an earpiece during a live broadcast.
Verb
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Letting go of the idea that success requires hustling at all costs — and replacing it with goals that feel attainable — can help founders shift toward a more sustainable approach, one where progress doesn't come at the cost of their well-being.
-
Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard, ends the final episode still hustling, despite the violent death of her husband Nate (Jacob Elordi), the passing of her high school friend Rue (Zendaya), and the dismantling of her OnlyFans account.
Verb
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As with the studio version, the track began with Lifeson plucking out a delicate intro on a nylon-string guitar before blasting into monster electric riffs.
-
Vogue’s beauty shopping editor Kiana Murden became a devotee after plucking it from the beauty closet and using it religiously.
Cite this Entry
“Defrauding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defrauding. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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