defraud

verb

de·​fraud di-ˈfrȯd 

dē-

defrauded; defrauding; defrauds

transitive verb

: to deprive of something by deception or fraud

trying to defraud the public

Investors in the scheme were defrauded of their life savings.

defrauder

di-ˈfrȯ-dər 

dē-

noun

Synonyms of defraud

• cheat
• squeeze
• pluck
• hustle
• sting
• deceive
• bilk
• swindle
• screw
• victimize
• beat

Choose the Right Synonym for defraud

cheat, cozen, defraud, swindle mean to get something by dishonesty or deception.

cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.

always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars

defraud stresses depriving one of his or her rights and usually connotes deliberate perversion of the truth.

defrauded of her inheritance by an unscrupulous lawyer

swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence.

swindled of their savings by con artists

Examples of defraud in a Sentence

They were accused of trying to defraud the public.

They conspired to defraud the government.

She was convicted of writing bad checks with intent to defraud.

Recent Examples on the Web

The product didn’t work, and Holmes was convicted of defrauding her investors. —Theo Baker, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026

ThinkTechAct’s founder, Mahad Ibrahim, pleaded guilty to defrauding the free food reimbursement system through his feigned nonprofit group as part of the Feeding Our Future network. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026

Sanberg pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud in October, defrauding company investors by falsifying Aspiration’s financial statements and, along with another Aspiration board member, Ibrahim AlHusseini, also fraudulently obtained $145 million in loans from two banks. —Janis Carr, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026

Scammers posing as law-enforcement or bank officials used fraudulent websites disguised as legitimate investment platforms to defraud victims across the globe by duping them into sending cryptocurrency, according to an FBI agent's affidavit. —ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French defrauder, from Latin defraudare, from de- + fraudare to cheat, from fraud-, fraus fraud

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for defraud

• abroad
• applaud
• backboard
• ballade
• ephod
• facade
• guffawed
• outlawed
• ramrod
• roughshod
• slipshod
• tripod

Kids Definition

defraud

verb

de·​fraud di-ˈfrȯd 

: to deprive of something by trickery, deception, or fraud

defrauder

di-ˈfrȯd-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

defraud

transitive verb

de·​fraud di-ˈfrȯd 

: to deprive of something by fraud

defrauder noun