Basic Details
Word: Defraud
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To cheat someone out of money or property by lying or tricking them.
Synonyms: cheat, swindle, con, trick
How to Spell Defraud
Syllables: de - fraud
Tricky part: The vowel sound in fraud is written au, not o or aw. Students write defrod or defrawd.
Watch out for: defrod, defrawd, difraud
Memory tip: A fraud is a cheat, and to defraud is to do what a fraud does. Spell the cheat first, f-r-a-u-d, and put de in front.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The gang tried to defraud the insurance company by faking a car accident.
Example 2: He was jailed for defrauding investors of their savings.
Example 3: Always check the website address; fake shops are set up to defraud buyers.
Fun Fact
Fraud comes from the Latin fraus, which meant deceit or harm done by trickery.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Only one of these words can take the prefix de- to form a real word. Choose it.
de
a) sweet
b) garden
c) honest
d) fraud
Show answer
d) fraud. De + fraud gives defraud; there is no such word as dehonest, desweet or degarden.
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to defraud as used in the sentence:
The trader tried to defraud the farmers by using false weights when he bought their wheat.
a) protect
b) swindle
c) repay
d) warn
Show answer
b) swindle. To defraud is to swindle; protect and repay are what an honest person would do.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Police in Pune have arrested two men who used fake websites to defrawd hundreds of customers by promising them cheap train tickets that never arrived.
a) defrawd
b) arrested
c) promising
d) customers
Show answer
a) defrawd. The word ends in fraud, spelt with au.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. If a company is defrauded, it ____.
a) wins a prize in a lucky draw
b) loses money or property by trickery
c) moves its office to a new city
d) pays its workers a little late
Show answer
b) loses money or property by trickery
2. Which caller is trying to defraud you?
a) one who asks for your bank PIN to "claim a prize"
b) one who reminds you of a doctor's appointment
c) one who asks for directions
d) one who wishes you a happy birthday
Show answer
a) one who asks for your bank PIN to "claim a prize"
