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
  • Step two: Defend against junk fees These nefarious fees are designed either to confuse or deceive consumers.
    Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 7 July 2025
  • Several state legislators and other state officials will testify that they were deceived by the conspirators regarding the operations of Phoenix Solutions, according to prosecutors.
    Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • Business Technology News #5 – Here are 10 ways to use Grok 4 that feel like cheating: AI resources platform God of Prompt listed 10 creative ways to use Grok 4 – xAI’s large language model – on its X feed.
    Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
  • What People Are Saying Byron's wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, removed her last name from her Facebook account and later deleted it following the cheating allegations, Page Six reported.
    Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Verb
  • His impersonation is so convincing that Lu and Shin are initially fooled.
    Allison DeGrushe Published, EW.com, 14 July 2025
  • The Mets couldn’t pick up his slider and were fooled on his changeup.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • Historically, Sioux warriors would lure an eagle with rabbit or other food, pluck a few feathers and release it, said Thunder Hawk, who grew up in South Dakota.
    Giovanna Dell'orto, Twin Cities, 13 July 2025
  • Gunn takes the vast canon of Superman lore — from various iterations of the comics to TV shows like Smallville to the Donner films — and treats it like a grab bag, plucking elements from many sources.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Luckily for Marian, much of Bertha’s attention is stolen by the unexpected arrival of her unsophisticated sister; Bertha’s too busy making snide comments and tricking her into wearing nicer gowns to even bother with Marian.
    Andy Swift, TVLine, 13 July 2025
  • The offense is built on outside runs and tricking the defense.
    Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • The bees became aggressive and stung the man multiple times.
    Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2025
  • Opting for a two-piece swimsuit in favor of a one-piece could also reduce your chances of getting stung.
    Evan Moore July 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Marlene alleged her son grabbed and started to squeeze her throat.
    Christine Pelisek, People.com, 11 July 2025
  • Kalvin Phillips squeezes a pass through the gap and into Omari Hutchinson, taking three Forest players out of the game.
    Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Grobstein, then working for WLS-AM, hustled back to the press box.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
  • The veteran major-leaguer — who has spent the majority of his career as a catcher — showed athleticism in the first inning, hustling to get an out at first base after starting pitcher Kris Bubic took a comebacker off his shin.
    Maddie Hartley July 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!