1
as in studying
to commit to memory
usually candidates con their entire campaign speech, right down to the jokes they supposedly ad-lib
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in examining
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 cheating
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 tricking
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
as in steering
to operate or control the course of
there was white-knuckle tension as the captain conned the gunboat through the mine-infested harbor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conning
Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Looking to turn the tables, 80-year-old Poppy Montgomery launches a mission to defraud the fraudsters conning the elderly online.
—Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 18 May 2026
How to get out of an awkward situation in order to avoid booking that plane ticket back to New York, where nothing much awaits her, after conning her way into a stranger’s home?
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
Often these are aimed at either conning applicants into paying up-front fees or providing personal information that the scammers later use to gain access to credit in the victim’s name.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Their father, my grandfather, was a career low-life criminal and was in jail all the time for forgery and conning people.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Officials allege that Bester bribed several prison employees into helping with his escape plan, including conning his way into an isolation cell that was located near a fire escape and in an area with limited cameras, per the docuseries, NBC News and GroundUp.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
There was at least one other incident in which Bustillo is accused of conning a player out of $4,000.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Looking to turn the tables, 80-year-old Poppy Montgomery launches a mission to defraud the fraudsters conning the elderly online.
—Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 18 May 2026
How to get out of an awkward situation in order to avoid booking that plane ticket back to New York, where nothing much awaits her, after conning her way into a stranger’s home?
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
Often these are aimed at either conning applicants into paying up-front fees or providing personal information that the scammers later use to gain access to credit in the victim’s name.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Their father, my grandfather, was a career low-life criminal and was in jail all the time for forgery and conning people.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Officials allege that Bester bribed several prison employees into helping with his escape plan, including conning his way into an isolation cell that was located near a fire escape and in an area with limited cameras, per the docuseries, NBC News and GroundUp.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conning
Verb
-
After studying in the northern English city, which is around 40 miles north of Manchester, Hockney went on to hone his craft at the Royal College of Art in London.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
-
Infoblox Threat Intel tracks cybercriminal activity partly by studying DNS, the system that helps devices find websites online.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Sports features prominently across day one, with JioStar sports and live experiences CEO Ishan Chatterjee examining sport as a platform for fandom, AI and commerce, followed by ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta on cricket’s global expansion and La Liga president Javier Tebas on fan engagement and enforcement.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 June 2026
-
Federal investigators have arrived at Butler Memorial Airport to begin examining the plane crash that killed 12 people Sunday morning.—
Neil Nakahodo,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The reunion comes 15 years after the couple divorced amid rumors of a cheating scandal.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
-
Here, Ruhian diversifies his skill set, killing people at a distance with a bow and arrow, which feels like cheating.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Posts from other Knicks fans say the user tried tricking them as well.—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Such techniques typically work by tricking the user into approving a request to approve a device owned by the attacker instead.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Technology plays a guiding role, steering members towards strategies and treatments which befit their lifestyle, behaviors and routine.—
Nick Scott,
Robb Report,
13 June 2026
-
Though the workshop is distinct from Lost Kite, key leaders—like MPWW’s founder and artistic director, Jennifer Bowen—are steering Lost Kite’s editorial team.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
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His 3-year-old son Sonny is learning to swing a fat plastic bat, all while working on his launch angle.—
Barry Svrluga,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
On April 18, 2025, immigration officers went to the Milwaukee County courthouse after learning Flores-Ruiz had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan for a hearing in a state battery case.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Verb
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As residents of parts of these states were recovering and surveying the damage from a destructive derecho that swept through Wednesday night with up to 80 mph winds, they were hit again less than 24 hours later with another round of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
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Authorities were surveying the damage Friday and preparing to issue emergency declarations needed to get recovery funding.—
DAVE COLLINS,
Arkansas Online,
13 June 2026
Verb
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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.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
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Clarkson now is showing his value hustling for 50-50 balls while no longer being a liability on defense — a trait that’s followed him throughout his career.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conning. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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