cheat 1 of 2

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as in to disappoint
to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of the daredevil survived his plunge over the falls with barely a scratch, having cheated death once again

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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cheat

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb cheat contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of cheat are cozen, defraud, and swindle. While all these words mean "to get something by dishonesty or deception," cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

When can cozen be used instead of cheat?

The words cozen and cheat are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.

always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars

When is defraud a more appropriate choice than cheat?

The meanings of defraud and cheat largely overlap; 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

Where would swindle be a reasonable alternative to cheat?

In some situations, the words swindle and cheat 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 cheat
Verb
Therefore, the 90-plus minute period of going from magic hour to early evening darkness would need to be compressed into 25 minutes, and the oner cheated. Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 28 Mar. 2025 But Tom Izzo isn’t cheating the people that have been loyal to him for this chaos that is going on out there. Justin Williams, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
Her rule aligns with what longevity experts typically say: Occasional cheat meals are fine. Ryan Johnston, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025 However, the real cheat code may be turning away from the idyllic and amplifying the real-life stories of parents who share similar struggles. Christian Dashiell, Parents, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cheat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheat
Verb
  • Corson proceeded to inform the court of Petersen’s previous convictions in 2016 and 2017 when she was charged with misrepresenting herself as her sister when stopped by law enforcement.
    Olivia Estright, Twin Cities, 2 Apr. 2025
  • In particular, Ozy co-founder and chief operating officer Samir Rao had misrepresented himself on a call with Goldman Sachs by pretending to be a YouTube executive, Alex Piper.
    Peter White, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The biggest game-changer for apparel and textiles lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), automation and supply chain visibility.
    Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 10 Apr. 2025
  • For Manal, the real power of the album lies in speaking up about topics considered taboo in society.
    Nour Ezzedine, Billboard, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Their transfer business is one place to start, with basically all of their recruits having disappointed, with the possible exception of Matheus Fernandes.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
  • All the chatter from people who said they were disappointed in this resolution — hold on, this is a win.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Carving her own musical lane in an industry so determined to squeeze her into a box has been a challenge, but PinkPantheress isn’t one to let outside voices get to her.
    Chris Malone Méndez, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Plus, this portable Bluetooth karaoke machine is small enough to squeeze into an Easter basket.
    Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In contrast, anonymous digital cash is a tax dodger’s dream.
    David G.W. Birch, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The layoffs of roughly 7,000 Internal Revenue Service probationary workers beginning this week probably mean the end of the agency’s plan to go after high-wealth tax dodgers and could spell disaster for revenue collection, experts say.
    Fatima Hussein, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The group has claimed dozens of strikes against Israel throughout the war in Gaza, some of which have managed to evade the country's state-of-the-art air defense systems.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Overtourism is to blame That year, a railway company also launched a probe against four popular YouTubers over their stunt to evade fares on public transport, according to local media.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Luxury log cabins sleep four or eight and offer full kitchens, dining and living areas, heated floors, A/C, flat-screen TVs with DirecTV, and queen-size sleeper sofas.
    Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Kalvin sleeps next to him every night, the physical pressure helping the boy get better rest.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The brand sponsors hustling to join the crew hope the ride is just getting started.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Mar. 2025
  • In 2023, his final year with the Boston Red Sox, manager Alex Cora benched him twice, the first time in June for a failure to hustle on the base paths, and then again in August allegedly for showing up late to the ballpark.
    William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cheat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheat. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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