Synonym Chooser

How does the verb cozen contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of cozen are cheat, defraud, and swindle. While all these words mean "to get something by dishonesty or deception," cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.

always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars

Where would cheat be a reasonable alternative to cozen?

The words cheat and cozen can be used in similar contexts, but cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

When would defraud be a good substitute for cozen?

In some situations, the words defraud and cozen are roughly equivalent. However, 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

When can swindle be used instead of cozen?

While in some cases nearly identical to cozen, swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence.

swindled of their savings by con artists

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 cozen The point, however, is not to entertain the driver/employee but to cozen the owner. Dan Neil, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cozen
Verb
  • This requires honesty, particularly self-honesty, as leaders can deceive themselves with what seems like progress.
    Dmitry Malin, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The band’s attorneys said that consumers could be easily deceived by the products allegedly sold on the marketplace, which could, in turn, cause reputational damage for Twenty One Pilots and its legitimate products.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Student use of artificial intelligence has become so prevalent, high school and college educators say, that to assign writing outside of the classroom is like asking students to cheat.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
  • There are things worse than cheating.
    Essence, Essence, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Your press release isn’t fooling anyone.
    Roberta Matuson, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Replacing Nina with a woman who has the same initials as her is not going to fool us!
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The first challenge is to create a visually appealing monkey bread, which many in America will recognize as a circular loaf composed of smaller balls that can be easily torn off, much like monkeys plucking nits from one another.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
  • And of course, volunteers will spend the morning scouring the sand to pluck out the plastics and other debris at the beach.
    Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Still, Genians suspects the Kimsuky group was able to develop a workaround, also known as jailbreak, to trick ChatGPT into creating the IDs.
    Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
  • But in reality, deepfakes are getting better and the threat industry has many years of experience in honing lures to trick people, playing on emotions and overcoming natural suspicions and objections.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Salt stung eyes and clung to skin, while the smell of brine and fish hung heavy in the air.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • At a family gathering in Huntsville, Alabama, I was stung by the divisive image on my 16-year-old relative’s T-shirt.
    Sabrina S. Fu, Twin Cities, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • My sister looked up at me and ever so gently, with barely perceptible pressure, squeezed my hand.
    Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • If real estate values turn soft in a region, the decline could squeeze a crucial revenue stream for cities, counties, regional agencies and school districts.
    George Avalos, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Instead of hustling for one-day bookings, Patel engineered a system where one client often meant three to five events—maximizing return and loyalty.
    Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Farnaz Farjam, one of the show’s executive producers, told Deadline that the production hustled to find a way to capture all three elements.
    Peter White, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cozen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cozen. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.

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