cozened

verb

past tense of cozen
1
as in deceived
to cause to believe what is untrue cozened several elderly ladies into believing that he was intending marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheated
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 cozened
  1. deceived
  2. cheated
  3. tricked
  4. plucked
  5. fooled
  6. stung
  7. hustled
  8. squeezed
Verb
  • Now some say the operation has left them feeling deceived and questioning whether the White House considered their safety.
    — Scott Nover, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2026
  • White House pool reporters deceived Advertisement McDonald pushed back on the idea that Air Force One and the people still aboard it, including journalists, were left exposed.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceived
Verb
  • The rest of us just got the surface, but who could feel cheated?
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Child safety advocates and some parents have welcomed age restrictions, while privacy groups say the rules can be cheated and that forcing users to supply identification raises privacy concerns.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheated
Verb
  • In the past couple of years, deepfakes have already tricked large firms like Arup into wiring $25 million to scammers.
    — Allyson Kapin, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • In September 2025, a judge dismissed the lawsuit, noting that consumers could still enjoy the treats even if they felt tricked by the wrappers.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of tricked
Verb
  • Woodard went undrafted out of UNLV in 2025, and the Dolphins plucked him off the Texans’ practice squad in mid-December.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • If the Panthers didn’t want him, in other words, he’d probably be plucked off the waiver wire by someone else.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of plucked
Verb
  • We’re meant to learn from our mistakes and not get fooled a second time.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The uncomfortable implication is that the most dangerous credibility failures are not the ones where we are obviously fooled by something implausible.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of fooled
Verb
  • Several clubs have been stung by excessive ventures into external markets in recent years, most notably Tottenham in Italy and Manchester United’s mistakes in the Dutch league under Erik ten Hag.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Spray the nest from a distance to reduce the chances of being stung.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of stung
Verb
  • Officers hustled the residents, including the children, out of the home, while Walsh and the second officer found the suspect hiding in a bathroom.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Two of the men quickly hopped up and hustled down the sidewalk, while the third sat for a second before replacing the manhole cover, and walked away, the video shows.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of hustled
Verb
  • America’s aging farmers have been holding on to machinery for longer than usual as low crop prices and rising costs squeezed their finances.
    — Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Officials said the bears appeared to have squeezed through a 1-foot-wide opening in the concrete structure (likely seeking water during hot, humid weather) and then couldn’t get back out.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeezed
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cozenage
cozened
cozener
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cozened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cozened. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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