cheat 1 of 2

verb

ˈchēt How to pronounce cheat (audio)
Definition of cheatnext
1
as in to misrepresent
to use dishonest methods to achieve a goal students who cheat on tests end up never knowing anything

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to lie
to be sexually unfaithful he suspects that his girlfriend is cheating on him

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
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
4
as in to squeeze
to rob by the use of trickery or threats a despicable confidence man who heartlessly cheated elderly people out of their savings

Synonyms & Similar Words

cheat

2 of 2

noun

as in dodger
a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value a cheat at cards

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Closing those loopholes helps prevent AIs from learning to cheat in the first place. — Harry Booth, Time, 20 Oct. 2026 The risks are already visible in models that deploy agents capable of evading their guardrails, escaping their sandboxes, cheating to obtain their goals, and covering their tracks to conceal the cheating. — Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
The Trasks encounter a wide swath of citizens, haggling with sneaky cheats, exploiting innocent fools, and befriending big-hearted neighbors. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026 Maybe Wednesday’s power play will provide a cheat code for seven months from now. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cheat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheat
  1. misrepresent
  2. lie
  3. disappoint
  4. squeeze
  5. dodger
  6. evade
  7. sleep
  8. hustle
Verb
  • The statement called on Cofer to stop misrepresenting her opponent’s record.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Policyholders and retirees have since filed lawsuits alleging that the insurers misrepresented their investments.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of misrepresent
Verb
  • That the first foreign policy message after the victory went to Moscow, and through a Russian state outlet, says a good deal about where the new government’s instincts lie.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Before long, the barricades lay tossed aside and the tents within went up in smoke, along with Vucic's power.
    — JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of lie
Verb
  • Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said before the game that some of the team’s younger receivers would have to step up, and Favors certainly didn’t disappoint.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2026
  • That inconsistency is why fresh pumpkin bakes can disappoint even careful cooks.
    — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of disappoint
Verb
  • For hungry Southerners trying to squeeze a meal into their lunch breaks, that’s a major blunder.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Push through the soles of your feet and squeeze your glutes to drive your hips upward.
    — Jenessa Connor, HEALTH, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Noun
  • The White House is now cracking down on these tariff dodgers.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine faces severe personnel shortages with around 200,000 military desertions and 2 million draft-dodgers, threatening its ability to sustain the war against Russia’s 2022 invasion.
    — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of dodger
Verb
  • Europe hopes to build the euro into an alternative global currency to evade the dollar’s iron grip.
    — Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Tel Aviv — At least 40 ultra-Orthodox Jewish men were arrested upon arriving Tuesday morning at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on suspicion of attempting to evade the country's military draft, the Israel Defense Forces said.
    — Dov Lieber, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of evade
Verb
  • Just one day earlier, he was diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his left calf and ordered by doctors to stay awake overnight, according to NFL insiders, who report the quarterback did not sleep for roughly 36 hours.
    — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • As a result, your mind is always searching for the next project to tackle or problem to solve, distracting you while hanging out with family or keeping you from sleeping.
    — Melody Wilding, Contributor, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of sleep
Verb
  • In Frankfurt, a gray city crumbling at the corners and still finding its footing after the war, though somehow doing its best to pretend all is well, Mann and Erika are greeted by the mayor and hustled off to a press conference.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The two firefighters, listening to their radios, hustled to the upstream bridge, prepared rope and watched the water.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of hustle

Browse Nearby Words

cheapskates
cheat
cheated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cheat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheat. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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