defraud

verb

de·​fraud di-ˈfrȯd 

dē-

defrauded; defrauding; defrauds

transitive verb

: to deprive of something by deception or fraud

trying to defraud the public

Investors in the scheme were defrauded of their life savings.

defrauder

di-ˈfrȯ-dər 

dē-

noun

Synonyms

• beat
• bilk
• bleed
• cheat
• chisel
• chouse
• con
• cozen
• diddle
• do
• do in
• euchre
• fiddle
• fleece
• flimflam
• gaff
• hose [slang]
• hustle
• mulct
• nobble [British slang]
• pluck
• ream
• rip off
• rook
• screw
• shake down
• short
• shortchange
• skin
• skunk
• squeeze
• stick
• stiff
• sting
• sucker
• swindle
• thimblerig
• victimize

Choose the Right Synonym for defraud

cheat, cozen, defraud, swindle mean to get something by dishonesty or deception.

cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.

always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars

defraud stresses depriving one of his or her rights and usually connotes deliberate perversion of the truth.

defrauded of her inheritance by an unscrupulous lawyer

swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence.

swindled of their savings by con artists

Examples of defraud in a Sentence

They were accused of trying to defraud the public.

They conspired to defraud the government.

She was convicted of writing bad checks with intent to defraud.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the Massachusetts case, Raytheon admitted to engaging in two separate schemes to defraud the Defense Department in connection with the Patriot missile systems and a radar system, along with other defense products and services. —Dan Mangan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024

Advertisement Howard’s former agent was Charles Briscoe, who pleaded guilty last year in his role in defrauding Howard of $7 million in a bogus scheme to buy the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. —Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024

The program began in 1995 to protect borrowers who are defrauded or misled by their colleges. —Nerdwallet, The Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2024

The burden of proof, however, lies with Musk—and demonstrating that OpenAI had planned to defraud him at the time of its founding will be challenging in the absence of clear evidence. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French defrauder, from Latin defraudare, from de- + fraudare to cheat, from fraud-, fraus fraud

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

defraud

verb

de·​fraud di-ˈfrȯd 

: to deprive of something by trickery, deception, or fraud

defrauder

di-ˈfrȯd-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

defraud

transitive verb

de·​fraud di-ˈfrȯd 

: to deprive of something by fraud

defrauder noun