1
as in to misrepresent
to use dishonest methods to achieve a goal
students who cheat on tests end up never knowing anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to lie
to be sexually unfaithful
he suspects that his girlfriend is cheating on him
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to disappoint
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of
the daredevil survived his plunge over the falls with barely a scratch, having cheated death once again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to squeeze
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
a despicable confidence man who heartlessly cheated elderly people out of their savings
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in dodger
a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value
a cheat at cards
Synonyms & Similar 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 cheat
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
McMann hunted, but never cheated, for offence.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
The world is full of bad actors—cheats, liars, tyrants, sickos—who are, ultimately, mere human beings; at least, this was how rationality would have it.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cheat
Verb
OpenAI has also shared examples of its models cheating and lying and, in an experiment showcased on the second floor of its San Francisco headquarters, appearing to converse in a totally indecipherable language.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
McMann hunted, but never cheated, for offence.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Noun
For Bautista, a true cheat meal would mean going all in on pizza.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
The world is full of bad actors—cheats, liars, tyrants, sickos—who are, ultimately, mere human beings; at least, this was how rationality would have it.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cheat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheat
Verb
-
Under Arizona’s Consumer Fraud Act, businesses can’t misrepresent their products.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Wang also misrepresented herself as holding current aesthetician, massage therapist and hair salon licenses on a loan application to the American Lending Center, the DA's office said.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
HoloRadar captures these reflections and reconstructs what lies beyond direct view.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Your job is not to decide whether your child is lying.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The event has attracted thousands of attendees and the line-up does not disappoint.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
-
That rhetoric has been replaced by a basic long-leash Republicanism — a shift that may be unsurprising with a dealmaker in the Oval Office, but has disappointed progressives and hardcore populists and sent legal sherpas scrambling to freshen their advice.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But, squeezed by the cost of things from rent to beef, others are shaking up their habit.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Ag is being squeezed by foreign competition, rising costs, and weak leadership in Austin.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Almost all other passengers dine at the Britannia Restaurant, and there’s also a buffet restaurant serving international cuisine, with options for vegans, vegetarians and dairy dodgers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Jan. 2026
-
But my collection intentionally ignored the fraudulent exploits of billionaire heirs, tax dodgers and corporate magnates — defense contracts, government lobbying, bank accounts in Switzerland, shell companies in Panama, citizenship of Antigua and political asylum in London.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Bottega Veneta’s perfume holder makes sure your travel-sized scent never ever rolls around at the bottom of your bag, evading your grip hand again.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Kids use a variety of methods to evade age rules by giving fraudulent information.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even plastic bags get woven into sleeping mats for residents who may be sleeping outside or don’t have a bed.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
-
After five days in frigid federal holding cells — where the family says the children slept under foil blankets on thin mats — they were transferred to Dilley, expecting to wait there for a couple weeks at most.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Yet the Bulls haven’t showed much urgency in trying to hustle either player back into the rotation until after this weekend’s hiatus.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
His attacker, the man in black, was hustled off the stage.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cheat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheat. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
