Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

defraud

[dih-frawd] / dɪˈfrɔd /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“The Perlmans want to hold accountable every individual and every company that defrauded them and perpetrated this scheme to defraud other victims,” said Luke Nikas, the Perlmans’ lawyer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

Unless you actually set out to defraud the insurer, the company may not cancel your coverage even if you made a mistake on your application.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 12, 2026

It said it fought against deceptive behaviour to scam or defraud people and businesses.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Bannon was charged in an unrelated case with fraud in an alleged scheme to defraud people who funded a not-for-profit company to build a US-Mexico border wall.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

If this is done knowingly and with intent to defraud, this is an illegal con game.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Garner Food Co. defrauds customers with its name and lone star logo on the iconic brand.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2022

White-collar crime undermines the rule of law, defrauds victims, and disrupts the marketplace.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2018

If a senator, Cabinet secretary, or federal judge assaults or defrauds another citizen in violation of state law, he or she cannot claim immunity based on occupation of a federal office.

From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2017

“If a large brokerage firm defrauds you, at least they have the money to pay you back,” said Brian Smiley, an Atlanta- based securities lawyer.

From BusinessWeek ● Jul. 6, 2011

Heaven defrauds us of nothing; and as we are created to love and be loved, is it not true that there must be compensation somewhere if it is torn from us, or denied to us?

From The Galaxy, April, 1877 Vol. XXIII.—April, 1877.—No. 4. by Various

A digital media founder was ordered to repay defrauded investors $36 million.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

At their first meeting, he learned that the client, who was in her late 60s and showed no signs of cognitive decline, had been previously defrauded out of $20,000.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

At the time, prosecutors said he had defrauded about 28 victims and that the fraud totaled about $993,000.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

As a result, the five investors argue, they were defrauded of the nearly $1.2m they invested.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

“It was the product you were selling. And what you produced was not love. It was fake love. You defrauded us. It’s clear. Your heart rates no longer rise when you see each other.”

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson

For example, Jason Galanis, who pled guilty to defrauding the Oglala Sioux Nation, had paid just over $2 million of his $80 million restitution before his sentence was commuted and the restitution erased in 2025.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

In other countries in the world, where medication is available for everyone who needs it, defrauding the public with worthless remedies is curtailed if not made impossible.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

Current and former FAA officials said the practice is problematic—controllers may be on break, but could be needed in emergencies—and technically amounts to defrauding the U.S. government.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Mahender Makhijani, 44, of Corona del Mar, accused of defrauding an Arizona bank of nearly $100 million, was denied bail Monday after a multiday hearing sought by federal prosecutors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Did you think you were going to spend your life sticking pins through butterflies and running about picking buttercups and daisies, as you did with your defrauding scoundrel of a father?”

From The Story of Antony Grace by George Manville Fenn




Vocabulary lists containing defraud


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training