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
  • Even children who are online only in small doses likely see false or inaccurate information that might deceive them.
    Evan Orticio, Scientific American, 2 June 2025
  • In November, Dove pleaded guilty in Gaston County to a dozen felony charges related to illegally accessing police computer systems and helping someone deceive a polygraph test, The Gaston Gazette reported.
    Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • The responsibility and reasoning behind infidelity lie solely with the person who cheated.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
  • After reconciling, the former couple still faced several challenges, including cheating allegations and public social media fallouts.
    Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • Reyes was a nice spring training story, but the Yankees were fooled by meaningless February and March stats.
    Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 8 June 2025
  • But don't be fooled, as these texts are sophisticated scams designed to steal your personal information or money.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • And yet, it’s still rooted in something real, because Perry plucked much of the heavy-handed dialog Keery delivers verbatim from the Wowee Zowee press kit, contemporaneous Malkmus interviews, and things Malkmus told Perry himself.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2025
  • The eggs, of course, are plucked from the hen house each morning.
    Matthew Monagan, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • In April, the comedian shared that he had been tricked by someone pretending to be the group’s manager while trying to arrange a bit involving actor Richard Kind and a pet tortoise.
    Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 May 2025
  • Attackers often trick users into unknowingly running malware this way. 4.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Rough as that was, a fielding mistake may have stung worse.
    Compiled From Wire Reports, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2025
  • According to news stories, Macron was stung by the report’s lukewarm reception in Algeria.
    Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Hundreds of people squeezed into the Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colo., for a vigil that featured prayer, singing and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses of the firebombing attack in the city’s downtown, after a federal judge blocked the deportation of the suspect’s family.
    Colleen Slevin, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
  • In some towns, utility poles were removed so the caravans could squeeze through.
    Angela Jackson, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Night shift in a teeming academic hospital can feel like a relentlessly heaving freighter, and I’d been hustling from ward to ward bailing water; this task was just another on my scut list.
    Danielle Ofri, New Yorker, 7 June 2025
  • There are a lot of risks doing that, but if someone wants to go all in and hustle for success, this can be a good option.
    Joseph Drups, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cozen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cozen. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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