conning 1 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of con
1
as in studying
to commit to memory usually candidates con their entire campaign speech, right down to the jokes they supposedly ad-lib

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in examining
to look over closely (as for judging quality or condition) seemed to be conning his face for any sign of uncertainty

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

conning

2 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of con
1
as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats a fly-by-night operator who had conned hundreds of would-be homeowners out of their hard-earned money

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2
as in tricking
to cause to believe what is untrue tried to con me into thinking that he had actually won the lottery

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

conning

3 of 3

verb (3)

present participle of conn
as in steering
to operate or control the course of there was white-knuckle tension as the captain conned the gunboat through the mine-infested harbor

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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 conning
Verb
Their father, my grandfather, was a career low-life criminal and was in jail all the time for forgery and conning people. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025 There was at least one other incident in which Bustillo is accused of conning a player out of $4,000. — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026 How to get out of an awkward situation in order to avoid booking that plane ticket back to New York, where nothing much awaits her, after conning her way into a stranger’s home? — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026 Looking to turn the tables, 80-year-old Poppy Montgomery launches a mission to defraud the fraudsters conning the elderly online. — Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 18 May 2026 Often these are aimed at either conning applicants into paying up-front fees or providing personal information that the scammers later use to gain access to credit in the victim’s name. — Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026 Officials allege that Bester bribed several prison employees into helping with his escape plan, including conning his way into an isolation cell that was located near a fire escape and in an area with limited cameras, per the docuseries, NBC News and GroundUp. — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conning
  1. studying
  2. examining
  3. cheating
  4. tricking
  5. steering
  6. learning
  7. surveying
  8. hustling
Verb
  • Plates and plumes The problem with studying the formation of continents is that the geological evidence of this process is almost gone.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 5 July 2026
  • The robot was shown footage of professional footballers performing drills and movements, studying the mechanics of the sport the way a player might review game tape.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 5 July 2026
Definition of studying
Verb
  • Drill Tech-Obayashi alleges Yuba Water is steering that investigation away from examining its own operational decisions while focusing instead on the contractor’s work.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026
  • The story reported that the victims had completed a safety course, while also examining state requirements and the large share of California boaters who had not.
    — Bryce Martin, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Definition of examining
Verb
  • And using what looks like a giant pile of gerbil food for half-day cooking projects just feels like cheating.
    — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • The chapters moved from crime rates to cheating teachers to drug dealers living with their mothers, linking unlikely variables with a kind of intellectual mischief that felt almost illicit.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • These fraudulent sites often mimic legitimate stores or rank high in search results, tricking desperate consumers into buying non-existent AC units.
    — Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • The schemes involve a predator pretending to be a teenager online and tricking victims into sending illicit photos of themselves.
    — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Definition of tricking
Verb
  • And now Jacopo—who is on the business rather than creative side—is one of five partners steering the architectural studio into the next era, with global hotel, retail and residential projects from Sicily to Shanghai.
    — Zoë Dare Hall, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Cool girls are steering skorts away from their grade-school connotations with motorcycle boots, slingback heels, and more sophisticated shoe pairings.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 4 July 2026
Definition of steering
Verb
  • After learning that her friend Shannon’s mother has died in a car accident, Elle is suddenly facing her first real encounter with grief and, unable to sit with it, throws herself into planning the memorial, down to selecting the music.
    — Angelina Mazza, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Doctors suspected rabies after learning the boy had direct contact with a bat weeks earlier.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of learning
Verb
  • The British established control of Florida after the French and Indian War but left little lasting footprint in what is now Miami beyond surveying the region and developing plans for future settlement.
    — Hank Tester, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • Killian is part of a group surveying PE teachers about the amount of physical activity opportunities available in their schools.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of surveying
Verb
  • Langford was injured during Friday’s game after hustling on a double.
    — Cal Phillips June 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2026
  • Letting go of the idea that success requires hustling at all costs — and replacing it with goals that feel attainable — can help founders shift toward a more sustainable approach, one where progress doesn't come at the cost of their well-being.
    — Holly Eve, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of hustling

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Conning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conning. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of conning for Spanish Speakers

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