cheat
[verb]
Synonyms:
- deceive, beguile, con (informal), defraud, double-cross (informal), dupe, fleece, fool, mislead, rip off (slang), swindle, trick
[noun]
Synonyms:
- deceiver, charlatan, con man (informal), double-crosser (informal), shark, sharper, swindler, trickster
- deception, deceit, fraud, rip-off (slang), scam (slang), swindle, trickery

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Related Words: bamboozlement, cozening, hoaxing, chicane, chicanery, trickery, befool, dupe, fool, gull, slick, bunco, con, fudge, short, beguile, deceive, delude, double-cross, mislead

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English Thesaurus: cheat, con, swindle, defraud, do somebody out of something, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. cheat¹ S3 /tʃiːt/ verb
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: cheat 'legal removal of someone's property' (14-17 centuries), from escheat]

1. [intransitive and transitive] to behave in a dishonest way in order to win or to get an advantage, especially in a competition, game, or examination:
He had cheated in the test by using a calculator.
Don’t look at my cards – that’s cheating.
cheat at
She claimed that I cheated at chess.

2. [transitive] to trick or deceive someone so that they do not get or keep something they have a right to have:
Illegal workers are often cheated by employers.
cheat somebody (out) of something
She cheated her aged aunt out of her fortune.

3. feel cheated to feel that you have been treated wrongly or unfairly and have not got what you deserve:
She felt cheated and used.

4. cheat death/fate etc to manage to avoid death or a very bad situation even though it seemed that you would not be able to:
The Italian ace cheated death in a spectacular 100 mph crash.

5. be cheated of victory/success etc if you are cheated of victory, success etc, you do not achieve it because of something unfortunate that happens

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. cheat² noun [countable]

1. someone who is dishonest and cheats:
His addiction has turned him into a cheat and a liar.

2. a cheat something that is dishonest or unfair

3. a set of instructions given to a computer that make it easier for someone who is playing a computer game to win

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

cheat to deceive someone so that they do not get or keep something they have a right to:
He used his charm to cheat the old lady out of everything he could get.
He’s afraid they’ll cheat him after he hands over the money.
con informal to get money from someone by telling them lies:
They conned her into spending thousands of pounds on useless equipment.
He conned money out of the public by pretending to collect for charity.
swindle to get money from a person or organization by cheating them in a clever way:
The painting has been stolen and the art gallery has been swindled out of a large sum of money.
A City businessman who swindled investors out of millions of pounds was jailed for four years.
defraud to commit the crime of getting money from an organization by deceiving them:
He admitted attempting to defraud his former employer of $1 million.
Johnson is accused of conspiring to defraud the taxman of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
do somebody out of something informal especially British English to dishonestly stop someone from getting or keeping something, especially something they have a right to have:
They’ve done me out of three weeks wages!

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲