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Synonyms
cheat, cozen, defraud, swindle mean to get something by dishonesty or deception.
cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.
cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.
defraud stresses depriving one of his or her rights and usually connotes deliberate perversion of the truth.
swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence.
Examples of defraud in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defraud.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle English, from Anglo-French defrauder, from Latin defraudare, from de- + fraudare to cheat, from fraud-, fraus fraud
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near defraud
Cite this Entry
“Defraud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defraud. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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Legal Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on defraud
Nglish: Translation of defraud for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of defraud for Arabic Speakers
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