noun / verb
con
KON/kɑːn/
A trick used to cheat someone.
The shell game is a con: the operator secretly removes the pea.
Etymology
Con shortens confidence, as in confidence man. The trick depends on gaining the victim's trust and then exploiting it, so its name points to the very trust being abused.
In context
we've all been lied to we've all been offered something that is just too good to be true and still we fell for it although we love a good con we hate it
More examples
- She spots the con before handing over any money.
- They conned him into paying for repairs he didn't need.
- The caller tries to con me out of my savings.
Forms
con · cons · conned · conning