defrauding 1 of 3

adjective

as in fraudulent
marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value every new technology has brought with it a raft of defrauding schemes that make full use of it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

defrauding

2 of 3

noun

as in swindling

Related Words

defrauding

3 of 3

verb

present participle of defraud
as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats senior citizens generally were too smart to fall for the fast-talking salesman's attempts to defraud them

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 defrauding
Noun
Her defrauding of the Foundation, however, surpassed that figure as FBI agents dug deeper into her theft. — Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025 And what could be more legitimate of a cause for removing a governor of the nation's central bank—which is, among other things, the lender of last resort to the country's financial institutions—than the alleged defrauding of those very financial institutions? — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Marshall had been charged with defrauding his mother’s estate of millions by inducing her to change her will in his favor after her mental capacity had faded. — Robert D. McFadden, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026 Smith allegedly negotiated lease terms and collected deposits from victims across 15 Florida counties between July 1, 2025 and April 30, defrauding hunters out of thousands of dollars. — Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 Mahender Makhijani, 44, of Corona del Mar, accused of defrauding an Arizona bank of nearly $100 million, was denied bail Monday after a multiday hearing sought by federal prosecutors. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Summary Todd Burkhalter, CEO of Drive Planning LLC, received a 20-year prison sentence for orchestrating Georgia's largest Ponzi scheme, defrauding over 2,000 investors of $380 million. — Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Selena Gomez and her mother have been accused in a federal lawsuit of defrauding investors of their mental health startup. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026 She is accused of defrauding 238 Naples residents out of more than $40,000. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) charged him with defrauding Punjab National Bank of roughly $2 billion. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026 Connor likens this case, about schools defrauding borrowers, to the historic settlement against Big Tobacco. — Cory Turner, NPR, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defrauding
  1. fraudulent
  2. swindling
  3. cheating
  4. dishonest
  5. squeezing
  6. false
  7. hustling
  8. plucking
Adjective
  • Tashia McKenzie, 36, faces one count each of fraudulent claim or receipt of benefits and second-degree larceny, the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice said in a news release Tuesday.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Verification can be particularly important because fraudulent job listings have become a concern for applicants and job platforms alike.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of fraudulent
Noun
  • Her lawyers, Giuseppe Iannaccone and Marcello Bana, have denied there was a case of grand larceny, which would include fraud and swindling.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 14 Jan. 2026
Definition of swindling
Verb
  • In this case, the reward was solving the ExploitGym questions and the hacking was literally hacking—cheating on the test and then hacking into Hugging Face in an effort to cover up the cheating (more on that below).
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Model 3 and Model Y adopted less elaborate press-and-pivot handles, helping give the cars their clean, wind-cheating profiles.
    — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheating
Adjective
  • If a claim is substantiated, the plagiarist is seen as sloppy or lazy at best, and fundamentally dishonest at worst.
    — Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But pretending botanical kratom can’t cause dependence is also dishonest.
    — Charles Trepany, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of dishonest
Verb
  • In the distance, a toddler in a matching Nike outfit literally leaped into the arms of a crying woman, perhaps a grandmother, squeezing tightly for a hug.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The floods will likely change that outlook, squeezing a country that’s heavily dependent on tourism while forcing a costly period of reconstruction.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeezing
Adjective
  • Another false dawn was Manchester City’s bright start in a 2-0 win over Chelsea, without the man who had just been named player of the tournament at Euro 2024, Rodri.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In turn, Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios filed a defamation suit, which claimed Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, had planted false claims in order to take over creative control of the film.
    — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of false
Verb
  • Besides Instagram hustling and scouring job boards, entrepreneurial editors find gigs when creators call out for help.
    — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Devers, who finished with three hits, eschewed his power for small ball in the fifth, laying down a surprise bunt for a single, then hustling home on Susac’s sacrifice fly.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
Definition of hustling
Verb
  • The streamer has found its leading lady for the biopic, plucking an unknown first-timer to play the sertanejo icon.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Dramatic photos taken from the scene show a firefighter on a tower ladder plucking a panicked child from a fire escape.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of plucking

Browse Nearby Words

defrauders
defrauding
defrauds
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Cite this Entry

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

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