as in scam
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
the explanation was so plausible that I never suspected it was all a con to make off with my car
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to study
to commit to memory
usually candidates con their entire campaign speech, right down to the jokes they supposedly ad-lib
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to scan
to look over closely (as for judging quality or condition)
seemed to be conning his face for any sign of uncertainty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
a fly-by-night operator who had conned hundreds of would-be homeowners out of their hard-earned money
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to trick
to cause to believe what is untrue
tried to con me into thinking that he had actually won the lottery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of con
Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Read more about the pros and cons of multi-year grants.
—John Wilkerson, STAT, 20 Jan. 2026
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025
The former Bravo star was sentenced to 78 months in prison after being found guilty of her involvement in a telemarketing fraud scheme that conned people (mostly elders) out of their money.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for con
Noun
Below is a breakdown of the most common standard window types, including where each style works best and the pros and cons to consider.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
Read more about the pros and cons of multi-year grants.
—John Wilkerson, STAT, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
So there's some serious temptation to fall back to old habits when they're critter-napped by a new crew called the Bad Girls and conned into stealing an experimental rocket.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025
The former Bravo star was sentenced to 78 months in prison after being found guilty of her involvement in a telemarketing fraud scheme that conned people (mostly elders) out of their money.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for con
Cite this Entry
“Con.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/con. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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