Synonyms of con

con 1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈkän 

as in prisoner

a person convicted as a criminal and serving a prison sentence

a program to help ex-cons find employment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• prisoner
• convict
• inmate
• jailbird
• trusty
• captive
• capture
• parolee
• lifer
• internee
• probationer

con

2 of 4

noun (2)

as in scam

an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value

the explanation was so plausible that I never suspected it was all a con to make off with my car

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scam
• fraud
• swindle
• bunko
• bunco
• scheme
• hoax
• flimflam
• shell game
• sting
• trick
• fiddle
• device
• hustle
• cross
• counterfeit
• racket
• Ponzi scheme
• pyramid scheme
• fix
• ploy
• stratagem
• jig
• sham
• dodge
• phoney
• fake
• wile
• gimmick
• rip-off
• forgery
• sleight
• phony
• gouging
• thimblerig
• overcharging
• soaking
• three-card monte
• humbug

con

3 of 4

verb (1)

1

as in to study

to commit to memory

usually candidates con their entire campaign speech, right down to the jokes they supposedly ad-lib

Synonyms & Similar Words

• study
• learn
• memorize
• know
• remember
• understand
• grasp
• recall
• think (of)
• retain
• get
• accept
• recollect
• apprehend
• hark back (to)
• comprehend
• reminisce (about)
• digest
• mind
• absorb
• relive

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forget
• unlearn
• slight
• ignore
• disregard
• pass over
• overlook
• neglect
• disremember
• misremember
• slur (over)
• overpass

2

as in to scan

to look over closely (as for judging quality or condition)

seemed to be conning his face for any sign of uncertainty

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scan
• review
• survey
• examine
• inspect
• view
• go over
• audit
• watch
• check (out)
• scrutinize
• analyze
• oversee
• overlook
• study
• investigate
• notice
• explore
• dissect
• peruse
• pore (over)
• parse
• classify
• research
• comb
• probe
• observe
• plumb
• categorize
• pick over
• delve (into)
• reinspect
• resurvey
• rereview

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• skim
• miss
• glance (at or over)

con

4 of 4

verb (2)

1

as in to cheat

to rob by the use of trickery or threats

a fly-by-night operator who had conned hundreds of would-be homeowners out of their hard-earned money

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cheat
• squeeze
• hustle
• sting
• pluck
• stick
• swindle
• screw
• beat
• trick
• deceive
• do
• flimflam
• shake down
• defraud
• bilk
• sucker
• fleece
• chouse
• bleed
• mulct
• stiff
• skin
• short
• victimize
• euchre
• fiddle
• gaff
• cozen
• ream
• hose
• exploit
• nobble
• rip off
• chisel
• shortchange
• diddle
• rook
• fool
• take for a ride
• skunk
• thimblerig
• do in
• betray
• take to the cleaners
• wrench
• sell a bill of goods to
• extort
• clip
• dupe
• nick
• overcharge
• rope (in)
• milk
• gouge
• gull
• wrest
• wring
• bitch
• soak
• double-cross
• bamboozle
• fast-talk

2

as in to trick

to cause to believe what is untrue

tried to con me into thinking that he had actually won the lottery

Synonyms & Similar Words

• trick
• fool
• deceive
• dupe
• kid
• delude
• hoax
• mislead
• tease
• sucker
• bluff
• juggle
• humbug
• hoodwink
• cheat
• gull
• bamboozle
• spoof
• gaff
• string along
• suck in
• misinform
• cozen
• buffalo
• sting
• hornswoggle
• misguide
• snow
• take in
• have on
• fake out
• beguile
• gammon
• snooker
• catch
• do a number on
• have
• burn
• lead one down the garden path
• lead one up the garden path
• pull one's leg
• swindle
• pull the wool over one's eyes
• put on
• stick
• defraud
• fleece
• mulct
• euchre
• flimflam
• skin
• hustle
• shortchange
• chisel
• rook
• diddle
• bleed
• squeeze

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undeceive
• expose
• reveal
• unmask
• show up
• debunk
• tell
• uncover
• disclose
• divulge
• unveil
• uncloak
• disillusion
• disabuse
• disenchant

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of con

Noun

How to finance your ADU Pros and cons of an ADU Accessory dwelling unit FAQs What is an ADU? —Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2024

Here are just some examples: 01 Rice and peas Our people have all kinds of variations of rice and peas throughout the diaspora, from hoppin’ john in the south to arroz con gandules in Puerto Rico. —Essence, 25 Nov. 2024

Verb

The con wants to con, and the mark wants to believe. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 Oct. 2024

Criminal organizations may have conned people out of around $75 billion through pig butchering scams. —Matt Burgess, WIRED, 12 Oct. 2024

Phrases Containing con

• mod con