Cheating is something that happens when someone breaks the rules to get ahead. Instead of saying “I cheated,” people often use different metaphors to describe it. These metaphors help explain the act of cheating in a more interesting way. They paint a picture of what it feels like or what happens when someone cheats.
In this article, we’ll explore several metaphors for cheating. These expressions can help us understand why cheating might happen and how it affects people. Let’s dive into these creative ways of talking about cheating.
Metaphors for Cheating
1. Behind closed doors
Meaning: Something done secretly or in private, usually with dishonest intentions.
Samples: He was always making deals behind closed doors at work. / They arranged the whole plan behind closed doors.
To Put it Another Way: He kept his cheating a secret. / They planned everything out of sight.
2. Pulling the wool over someone’s eyes
Meaning: To deceive or trick someone.
Samples: She tried pulling the wool over her teacher’s eyes by copying the answers. / He was caught pulling the wool over his parents’ eyes about his grades.
To Put it Another Way: He made sure no one knew he was cheating. / She tried to trick him into believing everything was fine.
3. In the shadows
Meaning: Doing something secretly, often in an underhanded way.
Samples: The cheating happened in the shadows, no one noticed it at first. / He passed the answers in the shadows during the exam.
To Put it Another Way: He did it quietly and without anyone seeing. / The cheating was kept hidden from everyone.
4. Bending the rules
Meaning: To break the rules or stretch them in a dishonest way.
Samples: She was bending the rules by using her notes during the test. / He bent the rules to get ahead in the game.
To Put it Another Way: He wasn’t following the rules exactly. / She twisted the rules to her advantage.
5. Pulling a fast one
Meaning: To deceive or trick someone, often quickly.
Samples: He pulled a fast one by changing the answer key on the test. / They pulled a fast one on their parents by sneaking out.
To Put it Another Way: He tricked them in a clever way. / They managed to deceive them quickly.
6. Under the table
Meaning: Doing something secretly, especially when it is dishonest or illegal.
Samples: He received extra money under the table for his work. / The deal was made under the table, with no one knowing.
To Put it Another Way: It was a secret and dishonest exchange. / The agreement was hidden from everyone else.
7. Cutting corners
Meaning: Doing something in a way that saves time or money, but is not honest.
Samples: She was cutting corners in her project, using someone else’s work. / He cut corners during the test, using his phone to look up answers.
To Put it Another Way: He didn’t do everything properly, just the easy way. / She took shortcuts to finish the assignment faster.
8. Stretching the truth
Meaning: To exaggerate or lie in a way that makes things seem better than they are.
Samples: He stretched the truth about how much studying he had done. / She stretched the truth when explaining how she got her grades.
To Put it Another Way: He wasn’t being completely honest about his effort. / She exaggerated the facts to make herself look better.
9. Playing dirty
Meaning: Using dishonest or unfair methods to achieve something.
Samples: He played dirty by copying his friend’s homework. / She played dirty during the competition by secretly sabotaging the others.
To Put it Another Way: He didn’t play fair. / She used sneaky tactics to win.
10. On the sly
Meaning: Doing something secretly, usually with the intent to deceive.
Samples: They were passing notes on the sly during class. / She was sneaking answers on the sly during the test.
To Put it Another Way: It was done secretly, without anyone noticing. / They kept their actions hidden.
11. In the clear
Meaning: When someone believes they are free from suspicion, often because they’ve hidden their wrong actions well.
Samples: He thought he was in the clear after cheating on the exam, but the teacher noticed. / She thought she was in the clear when no one saw her cheating.
To Put it Another Way: He believed no one would catch him. / She thought her secret was safe.
12. Behind someone’s back
Meaning: Doing something without another person’s knowledge, usually in a dishonest way.
Samples: He cheated on his partner behind her back. / She stole the answers behind the teacher’s back.
To Put it Another Way: He did it secretly without anyone knowing. / She kept it hidden from everyone.
13. A sleight of hand
Meaning: A trick or deception, often involving quick or skillful actions.
Samples: The magician’s sleight of hand helped him cheat during the game. / He used sleight of hand to sneak a peek at the answer sheet.
To Put it Another Way: It was a clever trick to deceive others. / He used his skills to secretly cheat.
14. Under the radar
Meaning: Doing something unnoticed, often to avoid getting caught.
Samples: They managed to cheat under the radar, no one suspected a thing. / She passed the answers under the radar during the test.
To Put it Another Way: It was done quietly, without attracting attention. / They kept their actions hidden from everyone.
15. A gray area
Meaning: A situation that is unclear or uncertain, often due to dishonest actions.
Samples: His actions were a gray area, technically not cheating, but still wrong. / There was a gray area in the way she handled the assignment.
To Put it Another Way: It was unclear if it was cheating or not. / The situation wasn’t entirely straightforward.
16. Throwing someone under the bus
Meaning: To betray or sacrifice someone else for personal gain.
Samples: He threw his friend under the bus to cover up his cheating. / She threw him under the bus by blaming him for the mistake.
To Put it Another Way: He betrayed his friend to save himself. / She blamed someone else to avoid being caught.
17. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone who pretends to be innocent but is actually deceptive or dishonest.
Samples: He appeared to be the perfect student, but he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, cheating on all his tests. / She acted like she didn’t know, but she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, planning her deception.
To Put it Another Way: He pretended to be honest but was secretly cheating. / She faked innocence but had dishonest plans.
18. Taking the easy way out
Meaning: Choosing a dishonest or easier solution to avoid hard work or effort.
Samples: He took the easy way out by copying his friend’s homework. / She took the easy way out by buying a fake ID.
To Put it Another Way: He avoided doing the hard work by cheating. / She chose the quick and dishonest solution.
19. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone pretending to be good, but actually being deceitful.
Samples: The new student seemed friendly, but he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, cheating in class. / The teacher seemed strict, but he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, secretly letting the students cheat.
To Put it Another Way: They appeared innocent, but they were actually dishonest. / They pretended to be good but were up to no good.
20. Dancing around the truth
Meaning: Avoiding the full truth, often with the intent to deceive.
Samples: He kept dancing around the truth about how he got the answers. / She was dancing around the truth when asked about her actions during the test.
To Put it Another Way: He didn’t give a straight answer, hiding the truth. / She avoided telling the full story.
21. A shady deal
Meaning: A dishonest or suspicious arrangement, often involving deceit.
Samples: They made a shady deal to pass the test without studying. / The teacher suspected it was a shady deal when they all got perfect scores.
To Put it Another Way: It was a secret and dishonest agreement. / The deal wasn’t fair and was done in secret.
22. A sleazy trick
Meaning: A dishonest or morally questionable method to achieve something.
Samples: He pulled a sleazy trick to win the competition by copying someone’s work. / She used a sleazy trick to get ahead in the race.
To Put it Another Way: He used an unfair method to win. / She did something sneaky to succeed.
23. Blowing smoke
Meaning: To deceive or lie, often to mislead someone.
Samples: He was blowing smoke when he claimed he had studied hard for the exam. / She was blowing smoke about not cheating on the assignment.
To Put it Another Way: He was lying to make it seem like he did the work. / She was pretending she didn’t cheat, but she did.
24. The fix was in
Meaning: The outcome has been secretly manipulated or predetermined, often unfairly.
Samples: Everyone knew the fix was in when they saw how easily he passed the test without studying. / The coach’s favorite player got the job because the fix was in.
To Put it Another Way: The result was rigged from the start. / Things were set up for him to succeed unfairly.
25. Stealing someone’s thunder
Meaning: Taking credit for someone else’s idea or work.
Samples: He was caught stealing someone’s thunder by handing in his friend’s project as his own. / She stole my thunder when she claimed my idea as her own during the meeting.
To Put it Another Way: He took credit for someone else’s work. / She claimed someone else’s idea as her own.
26. A dirty little secret
Meaning: A shameful or dishonest action kept hidden from others.
Samples: His cheating on the exam was a dirty little secret no one knew about. / She had a dirty little secret about how she passed the final exam.
To Put it Another Way: He kept his dishonest behavior hidden. / She was hiding the truth from everyone.
27. Cutting corners
Meaning: To take shortcuts or do things in a less thorough, dishonest way.
Samples: They cut corners by copying parts of the report instead of doing the research. / She was cutting corners to get the project done quickly.
To Put it Another Way: He didn’t do all the work. / She finished fast by skipping important steps.
28. A backdoor deal
Meaning: An arrangement or agreement made secretly, often dishonestly.
Samples: They made a backdoor deal to pass the class without completing the work. / He got the promotion through a backdoor deal, not by merit.
To Put it Another Way: They made a secret agreement behind everyone’s back. / He got ahead in a dishonest way.
29. Making a quick buck
Meaning: Earning money or gaining something quickly, often through dishonest means.
Samples: She made a quick buck by cheating on the test and selling the answers. / He was making a quick buck by selling shortcuts to passing exams.
To Put it Another Way: She made money by being dishonest. / He earned fast money by breaking the rules.
30. Hiding in plain sight
Meaning: Doing something wrong while appearing innocent or unnoticed.
Samples: His cheating was hiding in plain sight, no one realized he was taking answers during the exam. / She was hiding in plain sight, making deals while pretending to study.
To Put it Another Way: He was doing something wrong, but no one saw it. / She appeared to be doing nothing wrong, but was actually cheating.
31. A half-baked plan
Meaning: A poorly thought-out or dishonest plan, often to trick others.
Samples: They came up with a half-baked plan to cheat during the test but were caught. / His half-baked plan to get away with cheating didn’t last long.
To Put it Another Way: Their plan wasn’t well thought out and failed. / He tried to cheat but didn’t plan it properly.
32. On the take
Meaning: Accepting bribes or gaining something illegally or dishonestly.
Samples: The official was on the take, accepting money to let people cheat. / She was on the take, offering to change grades for a price.
To Put it Another Way: He was accepting bribes. / She was getting something unfair in return.
33. Fudging the numbers
Meaning: Manipulating or altering data to make it appear more favorable or correct.
Samples: He was caught fudging the numbers on the report to make it look like he met the deadline. / She was fudging the numbers to make her scores appear better.
To Put it Another Way: He changed the facts to make them look better. / She adjusted the results to cover up her cheating.
34. Sliding by
Meaning: Getting away with something dishonest or not putting in enough effort.
Samples: He was sliding by in school by copying his friend’s work. / She was sliding by on the project without doing much of the work herself.
To Put it Another Way: He was barely passing by cheating. / She got through without doing the real work.
35. Feathering one’s nest
Meaning: Using dishonest means to accumulate wealth or resources.
Samples: He was feathering his nest by selling exam papers. / She was feathering her nest by cheating her way into a scholarship.
To Put it Another Way: He was using dishonest methods to get ahead. / She was taking advantage of others to gain benefits.
36. Cooking the books
Meaning: Falsifying financial or official records to hide the truth or deceive.
Samples: He was caught cooking the books to cover up the company’s poor performance. / She was cooking the books to make her project look better than it was.
To Put it Another Way: He was faking the numbers to hide the truth. / She manipulated the data to appear more successful.
37. A quick fix
Meaning: A solution that is easy but dishonest, used to get immediate results.
Samples: He tried to find a quick fix to pass the test without studying. / She used a quick fix to get a good grade, copying her friend’s homework.
To Put it Another Way: He used a dishonest shortcut to get by. / She took an easy way out instead of doing the work.
38. Playing both sides
Meaning: To deceive by pretending to support two different sides or groups.
Samples: He was playing both sides by helping both teams cheat during the game. / She played both sides by telling the teacher one thing and the students another.
To Put it Another Way: He was pretending to be on both sides to gain an advantage. / She was being dishonest to benefit from both sides.
39. A smoke and mirrors act
Meaning: A deceptive scheme or trick that creates an illusion.
Samples: His explanation was a smoke and mirrors act to cover up his cheating. / The whole situation was just a smoke and mirrors act to distract from the truth.
To Put it Another Way: It was all a trick to make things look different. / He was hiding the truth with a deceptive show.
40. A blind spot
Meaning: An area of ignorance or something hidden from view, often used to cheat unnoticed.
Samples: He took advantage of his blind spot in the rules to cheat during the game. / She found a blind spot in the test and used it to her advantage.
To Put it Another Way: He used a gap in the system to cheat. / She took advantage of an overlooked rule.
Find the Topics: Metaphors for Cheating
Activity: “The Secret Plan”
Last week, James had a plan to ace his final exam. He knew he could not study enough, so he decided to pull a fast one. During the exam, he tried to keep his notes hidden under the table. He thought he was in the clear when no one noticed. But, while his teacher was walking by, he accidentally knocked his paper, and it was clear to everyone he was bending the rules.
Later, James sat with his friend Alex and tried to explain himself. “I thought I was just cutting corners,” James admitted. “But now, I feel like I’m in the shadows, sneaking answers when I should have been studying.”
Alex gave him a stern look. “Well, you were definitely playing dirty, James. You should have just studied harder.”
Feeling guilty, James promised never to cheat again. He realized it wasn’t worth pulling the wool over his teacher’s eyes. At the end of the day, James felt he had a dirty little secret that he couldn’t keep hidden anymore.
Your Task:
Underline or list the 10 metaphors for cheating you find in the passage.
Answer Key
- Pull a fast one
- In the clear
- Bending the rules
- Knocking his paper
- Cutting corners
- In the shadows
- Playing dirty
- Pulling the wool over someone’s eyes
- A dirty little secret
- Sneaking answers
Conclusion
Metaphors for cheating help us describe dishonest actions in a more interesting way. These phrases can show how people try to deceive others or hide their wrongdoings. When we use these expressions, it becomes easier to explain or understand cheating without directly saying it. The next time you hear someone say “pull a fast one” or “cut corners,” you’ll know they’re talking about cheating, even if they don’t say it directly.
