COZENING Synonyms: 111 Similar and Opposite Words

cozening

verb

present participle of cozen

as in deceiving

to cause to believe what is untrue cozened several elderly ladies into believing that he was intending marriage

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as in cheating

to rob by the use of trickery or threats cozened scores of people by persuading them to hand over funds that he would "invest"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cozening

Verb

But looks are deceiving in this case – just like the 3X Plus and 3X before it, the trailer stretches out via three individual telescopic segments that emerge at the push of a button.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
Facebook’s lawyers argued that the state failed to prove whether people were actually harmed by these deceiving statements.

— Mikella Schuettler, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceiving

Verb

With all respect to West’s previous cheating-on-television canon, War might be his finest adulterous work.

— Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
Wood was vindicated three years later, when a league investigation revealed the Astros had been cheating in 2017, stealing signs from a television monitor next to the dugout and relaying them to batters by banging on trash cans.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of cheating

Verb

In 2020, a group of political operatives working closely with Florida Power and Light sought to derail Rodríguez’s re-election campaign for the Senate by tricking voters into voting for an independent candidate with the same last name.

— Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
The top-performing red teamer on the original Arena was a lawyer from Melbourne who just happened to be good at tricking models into jumping their guardrails.

— Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of tricking

Verb

According to a case report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the doctors gave the man a topical treatment to numb his eyes and then began plucking out the worms one by one with fine forceps.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 Oct. 2026
Pai Skincare Bright Now Exfoliating Toner, $49 Organic is not as simple as plucking some flowers and putting them on your face.

— Brianna Peters, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of plucking

Verb

In the highlight, Marshall retrieves the ball and oddly fires it back to the infield, fooling no one.

— Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Anybody hoping that a Netanyahu defeat in October and the emergence of a less controversial successor will reset the table is likely fooling themselves.

— Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of fooling

Verb

Particularly stinging is the rout of Chinese AI and tech firms, which leader Xi Jinping has positioned as the new productive engines of the country’s modern economy.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
No more stinging your scalp in the name of a flawless blowout.

— Tasha Nicole Smith, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of stinging

Verb

The remarks followed the release of strong quarterly results, with revenue and earnings beating analysts’ expectations despite a 6% downturn in revenue due to pressure squeezing all broadband purveyors.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Fuel expenses are squeezing daily household budgets and tightening cash flow toward the end of the month, with reports indicating a growing number of French employees are requesting payroll advances to manage month end expenses.

— , CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of squeezing

Verb

That urgency has marked Holden’s prolific output—especially the thrilling first installment of his Supreme Magnetic series in 2025 and 2022’s Joe Frog—as the Harlem rapper uses his street-hustling past to paint an autobiographical portrait.

— Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
The 30-second teaser sees Jackson hustling around town, making money and recruiting his team of crooks.

— Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of hustling

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.

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cozeners

cozening

cozens

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“Cozening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cozening. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cozening

verb

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