as in cheated
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
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Recent Examples of defrauded
In December 2025, YouTuber Nick Shirley posted a video claiming child care centers run by Somalians in Minnesota had defrauded the state government of more than $110 million through this program.
—
Jess Huff, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The 90-year-old former Bond girl told Swiss newspaper Blick in January that she had been defrauded out of 18 million Swiss francs, approximately 20 million euros, by her long-time financial adviser over an eight-year period.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
In that case, a jury found Musk had defrauded Twitter investors in the lead up to his buyout of the social network.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
The move came after allegations that a Pittsburgh funeral director defrauded thousands of grieving families and threw their pets into landfills.
—Tory Wegerski, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Attorneys for Perry countersued, saying Aumann never had equity, was not an employee and misrepresented and defrauded Perry and David Cree Crawford, another owner — at times threatening physical violence.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
King joined the company amid class action lawsuits that alleged Xponential defrauded its investors.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
The agency has also taken on fraudsters, like its case against a solar panel company that defrauded residents that could yield nearly $20 million.
—Harvey Epstein, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
Elon Musk’s use of the drug ketamine will be off limits to attorneys for OpenAI and its chief executive officer Sam Altman during an upcoming jury trial over claims that the generative AI company defrauded Musk by abandoning its nonprofit roots.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
Jess Huff, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The 90-year-old former Bond girl told Swiss newspaper Blick in January that she had been defrauded out of 18 million Swiss francs, approximately 20 million euros, by her long-time financial adviser over an eight-year period.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
In that case, a jury found Musk had defrauded Twitter investors in the lead up to his buyout of the social network.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
The move came after allegations that a Pittsburgh funeral director defrauded thousands of grieving families and threw their pets into landfills.
—Tory Wegerski, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Attorneys for Perry countersued, saying Aumann never had equity, was not an employee and misrepresented and defrauded Perry and David Cree Crawford, another owner — at times threatening physical violence.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
King joined the company amid class action lawsuits that alleged Xponential defrauded its investors.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
The agency has also taken on fraudsters, like its case against a solar panel company that defrauded residents that could yield nearly $20 million.
—Harvey Epstein, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
Elon Musk’s use of the drug ketamine will be off limits to attorneys for OpenAI and its chief executive officer Sam Altman during an upcoming jury trial over claims that the generative AI company defrauded Musk by abandoning its nonprofit roots.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defrauded
Verb
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Teddy, specifically, has also cheated death on the series several times.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Mar. 2026
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Indigenous people have been cheated through laws such as are operated in Nigeria today.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some songs here have been plucked from Robyn’s back catalog and given a dusting up for the 2020s.—
Molly Mary O’Brien,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
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Come down from your tower for a steak, some seafood plucked from Gulf waters, a martini.—
Elazar Sontag,
Washington Post,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Anyone who is stung repeatedly or has trouble breathing should call 911.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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These scandals stung at the time, but looking back, Cyrus wouldn’t have changed a thing.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The dads and sons hustled to a nearby dirt patch.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Minnesota pulled even in the fourth when Byron Buxton hustled home on sacrifice fly by Josh Bell.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And almost all traffic goes through two main shipping lanes that are even more squeezed.—
Annette Choi,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
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More than 22,000 oranges are squeezed, and hundreds of gallons of drinks are poured, all for opening day.—
Caroline Foreback,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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A lot of times, much of a Hollywood memoir is someone saying this person screwed me over, this bad thing happened, and so on.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Harper is thrilled, Whitney is screwed.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The seizures were the result of an investigation launched after Andress reported to Swiss authorities that she had been swindled out of assets by financial advisers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
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But according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Santa Barbara, Ireland and her husband have been swindled out of their home equity and their life insurance policies, forced to sell their home, and left without substantial savings.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Klipsch Austin Portable Bluetooth Speaker Deal Don't be deceived by the small Klipsch Austin portable speaker.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Svetlana Petriychuk wrote the play Finist, the Brave Falcon, based on real events, about Russian women deceived into marrying ISIS fighters and traveling to Syria.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defrauded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defrauded. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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