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On my Collins-Cobuild Student's Dictionary, the word "cheat" is defined in the most generic way, without prepositions, as follows: "When someone cheats, they lie or behave dishonestly in order to get or achieve something". This is already a good and comprehensive definition of all the situations when somebody acts illegally or incorrectly to obtain something.

To report some examples, you cheat on a written exam when you copy the work made by somebody else or use information or notes written on a little piece of paper, hidden in your sleeves, or you secretly consult what is written on your cell-phone or pocket notebook.

Those who plays cards or other games most likely cheat, if they always win because they use tricks to have in their hands always the cards they want to win.

Another frequent example from the chronicle (at least, in my Country) is when certain guys ring at the door of an old person pretending (it's only one of most common lies invented by criminals) to be a technician of the telephone with the duty of controlling the lines. When the person lets the guy in, the task of the defrauder is to rob his victim of money or jewels with violence or fraud. Here, the cheating stay in the false and deceiving information at the door to be able to get into the victim's house So, we can say: "Two men have cheated the old lady out of all her money".

Cheating is frequent in the world of commerce when dealers try to sell something of scarce quality making us believe it's an excellent product, profiting from our lack of experience. This is the case of clothes sold with false prestigious brands and/or not produced in the Country officially declared.

Another important field where cheating is frequent is that of finance; this field has become dramatically topical for the present great financial crisis of the world, soon turned into a global economic crisis for its consequences on the economies of whole Countries. This mess was born in the US from the financial loans proposed by banks and financial companies to people with modest incomes, but dreaming of buying their house, shop or car; the companies made them believe the false, i.e., that they could pay back the sum without problems. This wasn't true (here's the cheating) and, when the banks had to suddenly raise the monthly instalments paid by the clients, the latter couldn't pay anymore.

These banks have deceived (they have "cheated") in selling to their clients at any cost "sub-prime" loans that were dangerous financial

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