as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
senior citizens generally were too smart to fall for the fast-talking salesman's attempts to defraud them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 pair were indicted in 2019 on charges including conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in loans, with a federal jury convicting them in June 2022.
—
Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 28 May 2025
After the for-profit chain Corinthian Colleges, investigated for predatory and fraudulent practices, collapsed in 2015, the Obama administration implemented the Borrower Defense to Repayment rule, which entitles students to loan cancellation if they’re defrauded by their school.
—Emma Whitford, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
In June 2022, they were accused of falsifying documents to defraud Atlanta banks out of more than $30 million through fraudulent loans.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 27 May 2025
In March 2023, DiBiase pleaded guilty to one federal charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for defraud
Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 28 May 2025
After the for-profit chain Corinthian Colleges, investigated for predatory and fraudulent practices, collapsed in 2015, the Obama administration implemented the Borrower Defense to Repayment rule, which entitles students to loan cancellation if they’re defrauded by their school.
—Emma Whitford, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
In June 2022, they were accused of falsifying documents to defraud Atlanta banks out of more than $30 million through fraudulent loans.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 27 May 2025
In March 2023, DiBiase pleaded guilty to one federal charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for defraud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defraud
Verb
-
Trouble is, the elder Broadway managed to cheat St. Christopher out of his share of the plunder.—
Joe Leydon,
Variety,
13 June 2025
-
Iran's response: cheating and hiding its nuclear weapons program; sprinting toward a bomb; and trying to assassinate senior American officials, including President Trump.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
In some towns, utility poles were removed so the caravans could squeeze through.—
Angela Jackson,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
Hundreds of people squeezed into the Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colo., for a vigil that featured prayer, singing and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses of the firebombing attack in the city’s downtown, after a federal judge blocked the deportation of the suspect’s family.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
And yet, it’s still rooted in something real, because Perry plucked much of the heavy-handed dialog Keery delivers verbatim from the Wowee Zowee press kit, contemporaneous Malkmus interviews, and things Malkmus told Perry himself.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2025
-
The eggs, of course, are plucked from the hen house each morning.—
Matthew Monagan,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
Night shift in a teeming academic hospital can feel like a relentlessly heaving freighter, and I’d been hustling from ward to ward bailing water; this task was just another on my scut list.—
Danielle Ofri,
New Yorker,
7 June 2025
-
There are a lot of risks doing that, but if someone wants to go all in and hustle for success, this can be a good option.—
Joseph Drups,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
-
Rough as that was, a fielding mistake may have stung worse.—
Compiled From Wire Reports,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2025
-
According to news stories, Macron was stung by the report’s lukewarm reception in Algeria.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
Even children who are online only in small doses likely see false or inaccurate information that might deceive them.—
Evan Orticio,
Scientific American,
2 June 2025
-
In November, Dove pleaded guilty in Gaston County to a dozen felony charges related to illegally accessing police computer systems and helping someone deceive a polygraph test, The Gaston Gazette reported.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
In a story published this month, ProPublica detailed how Carrier bilked millions of dollars from scores of investors across Texas, including both wealthy businesspeople and older adults of more modest means who depended on the investment income for daily expenses.—
Anjeanette Damon,
ProPublica,
30 May 2025
-
Catastrophic flooding to remain a threat for days after deadly storms Con man bilked fortune from selling fake celebrity memorabilia Trump, GOP vow to fix DC.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
After swindling his way into loads of cash, Yoshii gradually attempts to disconnect from humanity.—
Sara Merican,
Deadline,
29 May 2025
-
Aleksei is just using her to try to swindle her out of $10,000.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defraud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defraud. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share