# cheat

/ˈtʃit/ (US) · /tʃˈiːt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cheat
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to break rules

verb · CEFR B1

to break the rules of a game, exam, or competition to win or get a better result.

For teachers: to violate established rules or standards in order to gain an unfair advantage, particularly in academic or competitive contexts.

- He was caught trying to cheat on the history exam by looking at his phone.
- The athlete was stripped of her gold medal after officials discovered she had cheated by using banned substances during training.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'on' for exams or 'at' for games.

### 2. to be unfaithful

verb · CEFR B2

to have a secret romantic relationship with someone who is not your husband, wife, or partner.

For teachers: to engage in a sexual or romantic relationship with someone other than one's established partner in violation of a commitment.

- She decided to leave him after she found out he was cheating on her.
- The tabloid newspapers were filled with rumours that the famous actor had been cheating on his spouse with a co-star.

Usage: Usually takes the preposition 'on' followed by the partner's name.

### 3. to avoid something bad

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to narrowly avoid something bad that seemed certain to happen.

For teachers: to escape or avoid a seemingly inevitable negative outcome through luck or skill.

- The driver cheated death when his car stopped just inches from the cliff edge.
- The mountain climber has cheated death on several occasions, surviving avalanches and extreme equipment failures.

Usage: Commonly found in the fixed idiom 'cheat death'.

Teaching tip: This is a more dramatic, literary use of the word; in everyday speech, 'narrowly escaped' is more common.

### 4. a person who breaks rules

noun · CEFR B1

a person who acts dishonestly to win or get an advantage.

For teachers: a person who behaves dishonestly or violates rules for personal gain.

- Nobody wanted to play cards with him because he was a known cheat.
- The committee labelled him a cheat and a fraud after the financial discrepancies were brought to light.

### 5. video game shortcut

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a secret code or trick used to make a video game easier.

For teachers: a hidden command or programmed shortcut that allows a player to bypass standard game mechanics.

- I used a cheat to get infinite lives so I could finally finish the last level.
- The developer included several cheats in the game's code to help testers navigate the environment more quickly.

Usage: Often used as 'cheat code' or 'a cheat'.

## Examples

- He is a cheat who always hides cards during the game.
- The teacher caught the student using a cheat sheet during the final exam.
- While some view the new software shortcut as a clever efficiency, traditionalists argue it is a cheat that undermines the skill required for the craft.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.