CONNING Synonyms: 187 Similar and Opposite Words

conning 1 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of con

as in studying

to commit to memory usually candidates con their entire campaign speech, right down to the jokes they supposedly ad-lib

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in examining

to look over closely (as for judging quality or condition) seemed to be conning his face for any sign of uncertainty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

conning

2 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of con

as in cheating

to rob by the use of trickery or threats a fly-by-night operator who had conned hundreds of would-be homeowners out of their hard-earned money

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in tricking

to cause to believe what is untrue tried to con me into thinking that he had actually won the lottery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

conning

3 of 3

verb (3)

present participle of conn

as in steering

to operate or control the course of there was white-knuckle tension as the captain conned the gunboat through the mine-infested harbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 conning

Verb

There was at least one other incident in which Bustillo is accused of conning a player out of $4,000. — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026 Looking to turn the tables, 80-year-old Poppy Montgomery launches a mission to defraud the fraudsters conning the elderly online. — Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 18 May 2026 How to get out of an awkward situation in order to avoid booking that plane ticket back to New York, where nothing much awaits her, after conning her way into a stranger’s home? — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026 Often these are aimed at either conning applicants into paying up-front fees or providing personal information that the scammers later use to gain access to credit in the victim’s name. — Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026 Their father, my grandfather, was a career low-life criminal and was in jail all the time for forgery and conning people. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025 Officials allege that Bester bribed several prison employees into helping with his escape plan, including conning his way into an isolation cell that was located near a fire escape and in an area with limited cameras, per the docuseries, NBC News and GroundUp. — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for conning

Verb

Steven Harmon, a Baptist theologian at Gardner-Webb University who has spent decades studying Baptist history, says much of that change stems from the way denominational labels have become intertwined with political identity.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2026
Researchers studying prostate cancer discovered three cases of biopsy sample misidentification over two years, according to a 2011 research paper.

— Kim Chandler, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of studying

Verb

The next phase will include examining more types and grades of iron ore, since the Iron Range contains a wide variety of resources.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
European governments are now examining a range of measures to mitigate the impact of heatwaves and low river levels on nuclear power plants.

— , CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of examining

Verb

In March, the owner of a Colorado funeral home was sentenced to 18 years in prison for mishandling nearly 190 dead bodies, cheating customers and defrauding the federal government through loan applications.

— Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Trump has been accused of cheating at golf many times, but some pro golfers have praised his game.

— Tom D'Angelo, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of cheating

Verb

Football is all about engaño (trickery) — looking one way and passing the other, feinting to go left and swiftly moving right, manipulating the opposition and tricking them to open up those little spaces.

— Xavi, New York Times, 19 July 2026
What’s far more eloquent is the episode with the witch Circe (a terrific Samantha Morton), whose habit of tricking and transforming men into animals is rendered in evocatively physical, body-horror-esque imagery.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 July 2026

Definition of tricking

Verb

After steering some of the funds toward naloxone and addiction-treatment programs, Hubbard began researching alternative rehabilitation therapies.

— Michelle Lhooq, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026
Memory makers are steering capacity toward high-bandwidth memory and server DRAM for data centers, where the margins are better, which leaves less for phones, laptops, and tablets.

— Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of steering

Verb

And staying socially and mentally engaged by participating in hobbies, learning new skills, and maintaining relationships with family and friends are all ways to keep the body and brain active.

— Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
The courses, Cristerna said, would have been useful in learning how to negotiate brand deals, maximize monetization opportunities and cultivate and keep an audience.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of learning

Verb

The National Weather Service remains on site in Illinois and Indiana, surveying storm damage and looking to identify any other tornadoes.

— Albert Ramon, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Meteorologist Scott Baker said the weather service was surveying damage Tuesday for more information, including confirmation of more tornadoes.

— Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of surveying

Verb

Besides Instagram hustling and scouring job boards, entrepreneurial editors find gigs when creators call out for help.

— Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
Devers, who finished with three hits, eschewed his power for small ball in the fifth, laying down a surprise bunt for a single, then hustling home on Susac’s sacrifice fly.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 July 2026

Definition of hustling

Browse Nearby Words

conned

conning

connivance

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Conning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conning. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of conning

verb (1)

verb (2)

verb (3)

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on conning

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

circumscribe

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes