Synonym Chooser

How does the verb cozen contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of cozen are cheat, defraud, and swindle. While all these words mean "to get something by dishonesty or deception," cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.

always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars

Where would cheat be a reasonable alternative to cozen?

The words cheat and cozen can be used in similar contexts, but cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

When would defraud be a good substitute for cozen?

In some situations, the words defraud and cozen are roughly equivalent. However, 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

When can swindle be used instead of cozen?

While in some cases nearly identical to cozen, swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence.

swindled of their savings by con artists

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 cozen The point, however, is not to entertain the driver/employee but to cozen the owner. Dan Neil, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cozen
Verb
  • But appearances can be deceiving because there's a lot of bright side here.
    Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Trips down memory lane, especially when Star Wars video games are involved, can be deceiving.
    Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • More wearable tech news: Are Halliday's AI smart glasses an amazing new wearable or surefire way to cheat?
    Adam Smith, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2025
  • In another trial, an AI even used the semantics of its programmers to reach its cheating phase.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Do not be fooled by this bill’s carve-out for masks worn for health and religious reasons.
    Nikki Morse, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2025
  • This pair looks like a classic trouser, with front pleats and a relaxed leg — but don’t be fooled.
    Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Juwan Johnson, a 6-foot-4 open-space threat who Payton plucked undrafted out of Penn State in 2020, is re-upping for three years with the New Orleans Saints after constant buzz over a potential Payton reunion in Denver.
    Luca Evans, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Hitchcock would have loved this beyond, given the sheer technical wizardry and skill of debuting 27-year-old Irish director Ronan Corrigan, who was plucked from a Black List-style program Bekmambetov founded called Screenlifers, designed to help emerging filmmakers in the format.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Increasingly, criminals are able to use commonly available tools to launch sophisticated phishing scams, going as far as digitally replicating faces and voices in order to trick security systems.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Phishing is a cyber-attack that aims to trick people into divulging personal information.
    Solcyré Burga, TIME, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • His touch and shot stung Simon Mignolet’s palms and got Prince William, a friend of Mings, briefly off his seat from the stands above.
    Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Find out about the equipment and site(s) needed to get started with your own adventure with these stinging insects that produce honey and useful beeswax.
    Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Goldman Sachs previously estimated these tariffs could push inflation up by 1 percent while squeezing U.S. company profits and provoking retaliatory measures from other countries.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Tension headaches are the most common type, and can feel like a band is squeezing your forehead, with pain extending to your scalp and neck, per the US National Library of Medicine.
    Korin Miller, SELF, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, many women around the world are still struggling to find work, with many holding precarious jobs or forced to hustle in the informal economy just to get by.
    Meera Senthilingam, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
  • There was looting of office items ranging from computer monitors to art that hung on the walls to relics of the company’s storied past such as awards, while employees hustled to retrieve their personal belongings.
    Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 4 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cozen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cozen. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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