Cheating means trying to get an unfair advantage by breaking the rules. People might cheat in games, school tests, or other activities to win or get ahead without doing the real work. But cheating is not honest, and it can cause problems for others and yourself.
In this article, you will learn about idioms that talk about cheating. Idioms are special phrases that have a hidden meaning. These idioms help us understand how people feel about cheating in a fun and easy way. Knowing these idioms will help you recognize when someone is cheating and understand what others mean when they use these phrases.
Idioms for Cheating
1. Cheat sheet
Meaning: A hidden note used to help someone during a test.
Samples: He looked at his cheat sheet during the quiz. / Some students get caught when they use cheat sheets.
To Put it Another Way: A secret help for a test. / A note used to get answers without studying.
2. Pull a fast one
Meaning: To trick someone by cheating or lying.
Samples: She pulled a fast one by copying her friend’s homework. / He tried to pull a fast one, but the teacher saw it.
To Put it Another Way: To fool someone with cheating. / To get away with a trick.
3. Play dirty
Meaning: To cheat or act unfairly to win.
Samples: He played dirty during the game by breaking the rules. / Don’t play dirty if you want to be a good sport.
To Put it Another Way: To be unfair to win. / To cheat in a game or contest.
4. Cut corners
Meaning: To do something quickly and badly by cheating or skipping steps.
Samples: She cut corners on her project and got a low grade. / Don’t cut corners when you do your homework.
To Put it Another Way: To skip important parts. / To take the easy and wrong way.
5. Cook the books
Meaning: To change numbers in money records to cheat.
Samples: The company cooked the books to hide their losses. / Cooking the books is illegal and unfair.
To Put it Another Way: To cheat with money records. / To lie about money numbers.
6. Cheat the system
Meaning: To find a trick to get something unfairly.
Samples: He cheated the system by using fake tickets. / Some people cheat the system to get extra rewards.
To Put it Another Way: To trick the rules to win. / To get more by being unfair.
7. Bend the rules
Meaning: To change or ignore rules to your advantage.
Samples: She bent the rules to finish the race faster. / It’s wrong to bend the rules in a test.
To Put it Another Way: To not follow rules exactly. / To change the rules to cheat.
8. Play both sides
Meaning: To cheat by helping two groups but pretending to be loyal to both.
Samples: He played both sides to get what he wanted. / Don’t play both sides; be honest.
To Put it Another Way: To trick two groups at once. / To be unfair to everyone.
9. Take a shortcut
Meaning: To do something the easy way, often by cheating or not following rules.
Samples: She took a shortcut and didn’t finish all her homework. / Taking a shortcut can sometimes cause trouble.
To Put it Another Way: To avoid doing all the work. / To do less by cheating.
10. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
Meaning: To trick or deceive someone.
Samples: He pulled the wool over the teacher’s eyes by pretending he studied. / Don’t pull the wool over my eyes with lies.
To Put it Another Way: To fool someone. / To hide the truth from someone.
11. Get away with murder
Meaning: To do something wrong and not get caught.
Samples: She got away with murder by cheating on the test. / Some kids think they can get away with murder.
To Put it Another Way: To do bad things without punishment. / To cheat and not get caught.
12. Play the game
Meaning: To act in a way that helps you cheat or win unfairly.
Samples: He knows how to play the game to get what he wants. / Sometimes people play the game by cheating.
To Put it Another Way: To use tricks to win. / To act unfairly to succeed.
13. Fly under the radar
Meaning: To cheat or do something wrong without being noticed.
Samples: She flew under the radar during the quiz. / He tries to fly under the radar when breaking rules.
To Put it Another Way: To avoid getting caught. / To cheat quietly.
14. Skating on thin ice
Meaning: Doing something risky that could get you caught cheating.
Samples: He was skating on thin ice when he copied answers. / Don’t skate on thin ice or you might get in trouble.
To Put it Another Way: Taking a big risk. / Doing something dangerous.
15. Smoke and mirrors
Meaning: Tricks used to hide the truth or cheat.
Samples: The plan was just smoke and mirrors to hide cheating. / Don’t fall for smoke and mirrors.
To Put it Another Way: A trick to hide the truth. / A way to fool people.
16. Play for keeps
Meaning: To try to win by any means, even cheating.
Samples: She plays for keeps during games, even if it means cheating. / When you play for keeps, you don’t give up.
To Put it Another Way: To be very serious about winning. / To do whatever it takes to win.
17. Bend the truth
Meaning: To lie or change the facts a little to cheat.
Samples: He bent the truth about his homework to avoid punishment. / Don’t bend the truth when you talk to your teacher.
To Put it Another Way: To lie a little. / To change facts to fool someone.
18. Blow the whistle
Meaning: To tell someone about cheating or wrong behavior.
Samples: She blew the whistle on cheating during the test. / Sometimes it’s hard to blow the whistle on a friend.
To Put it Another Way: To report cheating. / To tell the truth about a problem.
19. Play both ends against the middle
Meaning: To trick two sides by cheating or lying to both.
Samples: He played both ends against the middle to get extra points. / Don’t play both ends against the middle in group work.
To Put it Another Way: To cheat two sides. / To lie to everyone involved.
20. Pass the buck
Meaning: To avoid blame for cheating by blaming someone else.
Samples: She tried to pass the buck when caught cheating on the test. / It’s not good to pass the buck when you make a mistake.
To Put it Another Way: To blame others. / To avoid taking responsibility.
21. Cover your tracks
Meaning: To hide evidence of cheating.
Samples: He covered his tracks after copying answers. / Cheaters try to cover their tracks so they don’t get caught.
To Put it Another Way: To hide proof. / To erase signs of cheating.
22. Cook up a story
Meaning: To make a false story to explain cheating.
Samples: She cooked up a story to cover why she didn’t do her homework. / Sometimes people cook up stories to avoid trouble.
To Put it Another Way: To lie. / To make up a fake story.
23. Play dirty pool
Meaning: To cheat or act unfairly to win.
Samples: He played dirty pool in the game to get ahead. / Playing dirty pool is not fair to others.
To Put it Another Way: To cheat. / To be unfair in competition.
24. Jump the gun
Meaning: To act too soon, often cheating by starting early.
Samples: She jumped the gun and peeked at the answers before the test started. / Don’t jump the gun during the race.
To Put it Another Way: To start before you should. / To act too early.
25. Play both sides of the fence
Meaning: To cheat by pretending to support two groups.
Samples: He played both sides of the fence to get favors from everyone. / It’s not right to play both sides of the fence.
To Put it Another Way: To be unfair to both sides. / To cheat two groups.
26. Get your fingers dirty
Meaning: To do something wrong or cheat.
Samples: He got his fingers dirty by cheating on the test. / Sometimes, you have to work hard, not get your fingers dirty.
To Put it Another Way: To do bad things. / To cheat or break rules.
27. Smoke screen
Meaning: Something meant to hide cheating or bad actions.
Samples: The excuse was just a smoke screen to hide the cheating. / Don’t be fooled by the smoke screen.
To Put it Another Way: A cover-up. / Something to hide the truth.
28. Play tricks
Meaning: To cheat or fool someone.
Samples: She played tricks on the other team to win. / Don’t play tricks if you want to be fair.
To Put it Another Way: To cheat or fool. / To act unfairly.
29. Feather your nest
Meaning: To cheat or take more than you should for your own benefit.
Samples: He feathered his nest by stealing money from the class fundraiser. / Don’t feather your nest by taking extra supplies without asking.
To Put it Another Way: To take unfair advantage. / To cheat for personal gain.
30. Play fast and loose
Meaning: To cheat or act without care for rules.
Samples: She played fast and loose with the rules during the game. / Playing fast and loose can get you into trouble.
To Put it Another Way: To ignore rules. / To cheat without worry.
Find the Idioms: Idioms for Cheating
Last week, the school held a big math test. Some students tried to pull a fast one by copying answers from their friends. Mia saw one kid secretly use a cheat sheet under his desk. She knew that was not fair.
During recess, a group talked about someone who tried to bend the rules during a game of basketball. They said he was playing dirty to win. Another student was caught trying to cover his tracks after cheating on a project.
At the end of the day, the teacher said it’s important to be honest and not play both sides by lying to teachers and friends. She reminded everyone not to jump the gun by starting tests early or looking at answers too soon.
Mia promised to always work hard and never play dirty pool to get ahead. She knew being honest was the best way to succeed.
Activity:
Underline or list all 8 idioms for cheating you find in the story.
Answer Key
- Pull a fast one
- Cheat sheet
- Bend the rules
- Playing dirty
- Cover his tracks
- Play both sides
- Jump the gun
- Play dirty pool
Conclusion
Cheating is not fair and can cause problems for everyone. Idioms about cheating help us understand how people talk about being dishonest in different ways. These special phrases make it easier to share ideas and feelings about cheating.
By learning these idioms, you can better understand what others mean and why honesty matters. Remember, playing fair and working hard is always the right choice. Using these idioms can also make your speaking and writing more interesting.
