defraud

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb defraud contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of defraud are cheat, cozen, and swindle. While all these words mean "to get something by dishonesty or deception," 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 might cheat be a better fit than defraud?

While in some cases nearly identical to defraud, cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

When would cozen be a good substitute for defraud?

The words cozen and defraud can be used in similar contexts, but 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 swindle be a reasonable alternative to defraud?

In some situations, the words swindle and defraud are roughly equivalent. However, 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 defraud The scheme ultimately defrauded the U.S. Treasury of more than $10 million. Brian Sloan, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2025 The four were accused of conspiracy to defraud; wire fire; conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud; honest service wire fraud; and conspiracy to commit extortion. Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025 Matt has plenty of reasons to be stressed right now, and his frustration comes out during a meeting with a client guilty of defrauding teachers. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2025 The letter came a month after several Republican senators raised concerns with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) handling of the case against the cryptocurrency company DEBT Box, which is accused of defrauding investors of at least $49 million. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for defraud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defraud
Verb
  • There's a problem these players aren't punished enough for cheating.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
  • And right when they're embroiled in the ensuing messy separation, new DNA evidence surfaces in Adam's case, the woman Bob cheated with turns up missing, and just like that, Sarah's back in the spotlight.
    Lizz Schumer, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Consumer confidence has taken a nosedive in 2025 as Americans grow more concerned that inflation could spike again, and tariffs will squeeze their wallets.
    Austin Denean, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Mike Pavlik, whose family lived across the alley behind ours and who was the leadoff batter on our softball team, squeezed my arm.
    David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The White Sox used it last winter to make a significant addition, plucking right-hander Shane Smith from Milwaukee.
    Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • This seaside haven looks like it was plucked from a mid-century souvenir postcard, but a recent $10-million overhaul by Maine hotelier Tim Harrington has ushered the 89-year-old resort into the modern era.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As tens of millions of Americans hustle to pay their taxes, Trump has put the entire global economy into chaos.
    Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The girl called the police station one night and wound up talking to Liv, who kept her on the phone while the team hustled to try to figure out where she was being held.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Now Warning To All iPhone Users Google Pixel’s Unbeatable Upgrade—Bad News For Samsung Being stuck at No. 2 behind Lamar likely stings just a little more than usual for Drake.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • But China is also seeking to build tighter relationships in Asia with nations stung by Trump’s tariffs.
    Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But as, as the brilliant evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller notes, our capacities to judge competence have evolved, so too have our capacities to deceive others about it.
    Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • And Ken claims to be a man of faith but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Holmes, 41, was convicted on four counts of felony criminal fraud in early 2022 for bilking investors in her now-defunct Palo Alto, California, blood-testing startup Theranos out of hundreds of millions of dollars.
    Mercury News, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
  • In 2024, Robert Michael Rambo, 63, was indicted on a third-degree felony theft charge after allegedly bilking friends, neighbors and business associates out of tens of thousands of dollars.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The investigation highlighted data from the California State Chancellor’s Office, which estimated a quarter of community college applicants were bots in 2024, and that the bot army swindled the state and federal government out of $13 million in student aid in the 12 months ending in April.
    Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 20 Apr. 2025
  • On this week’s podcast, Mark Seal explains how amateur sleuths busted a multi-national cyber-scam April 12, 2025 This week, Mark Seal reveals the amateur detectives who busted a group of cyber-scammers who impersonated Brad Pitt and swindled a woman out of more than $850,000.
    Air Mail, Air Mail, 12 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Defraud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defraud. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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