defraud of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "defraud of" is grammatically correct and commonly used in written English.
It means to cheat or deceive someone out of something, often money or property. It can be used in legal contexts or informal contexts. Example: The businessman was arrested for defrauding his investors of millions of dollars. Example: She felt defrauded of her time and energy after realizing the charity organization she worked for was a scam.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

We conclude, therefore, that the application of State laws voiding conveyances made in defraud of creditors does not impermissibly conflict with the identified purposes of the antialienation provision in ERISA.

Forbes

Nevertheless, prosecutors must still prove all the elements of mail fraud or wire fraud in a case regarding a scheme to defraud of honest services.

Wikipedia

More than 25percentt of these calls come from scammers looking for victims to defraud of money, identity information or both, according to a Harris Poll conducted on behalf of Truecaller, a caller ID and monitoring service.

Huffington Post

Robert Lewis Chaplin, 42, of Baldwin Hills, was arrested on suspicion of possession of completed checks with intent to defraud, of possession of the personal information of others and of possession of methamphetamine after deputies noticed false registration tabs on a vehicle he was sitting inside in the Mill Creek Summit picnic area parking lot in Angeles National Forest.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

How dare she be defrauded of her womanhood!

The Guardian - Books

When he returned to Nürnberg, he was defrauded of his savings.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Two months later, Omega Advisers filed a separate suit in London, saying it was defrauded of $126 million.

The New York Times

McCoy concluded that Pedroza had been defrauded of royalties after a four-day trial in February 2015.

The Guardian

I feel I've been defrauded of £1,600, and that eBay is unwilling to rectify it.

The Guardian - Money

Investors clearly think they have been defrauded of millions of dollars.

The New York Times

But the case of a woman who complained of being defrauded of £11,000 was not considered a priority.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "defraud of", ensure the sentence clearly indicates both the entity committing the fraud and what they are depriving the victim of. Clarity helps avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "defraud of" interchangeably with verbs like 'steal' or 'rob'. "Defraud" specifically implies deception as the means of deprivation, whereas 'steal' and 'rob' can involve direct physical action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "defraud of" functions as a verb phrase indicating an action of depriving someone of something, typically money or property, through deceptive means. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "defraud of" is grammatically sound and used to describe the act of illegally depriving someone of something through deception. While relatively rare, as evidenced by Ludwig's examples, it is commonly found in News & Media. When using "defraud of", ensure that the context clearly indicates both the perpetrator and what was taken. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used in written English and offers alternative ways to express similar ideas such as "swindle out of" or "cheat out of".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

swindle out of

Implies trickery to obtain something from someone; emphasizes the deceptive aspect.

cheat out of

Focuses on the unfair or dishonest acquisition, emphasizing the violation of trust.

dupe out of

Highlights the gullibility of the victim and the manipulative nature of the act.

trick out of

Similar to 'swindle', but may involve a single, clever ruse rather than a sustained scheme.

deceive out of

Emphasizes the misleading or false representation used to gain something.

defraud someone of

More formal and legally oriented, emphasizing the act of depriving someone of something through illegal means.

rob of

Implies taking something by force or threat, broadening the context beyond just deceit.

deprive of by deceit

Highlights that someone loses something by using fraud/trickery.

con out of

Informal way to say defraud, it emphasizes the manipulation.

bilk out of

Suggests defrauding someone of something, often money, through deceptive practices.

FAQs

How is "defraud of" used in a sentence?

The phrase "defraud of" is used to indicate that someone has been illegally deprived of something, often money or property, through deception. For example, 'The company was found guilty of defrauding investors of millions of dollars'.

What's a formal alternative to "defraud of"?

A more formal alternative to "defraud of" is to use a similar phrase like '"deprive of by deceit"' or simply restate the sentence to use 'defraud' as a transitive verb.

Is it correct to say "defraud from" instead of "defraud of"?

No, the correct preposition to use with "defraud" in this context is "of". "Defraud from" is not standard English. It should be "defraud someone of something".

What does "defraud of" imply that other words like "steal" do not?

"Defraud of" specifically implies that the deprivation occurred through deceit or trickery. Words like "steal" or "rob" do not necessarily imply deception; they can involve force or other means.