cheat code
Americannoun
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a hidden command, code, etc., that a video gamer unlocks and uses to gain an advantage in a game, such as by advancing levels or enhancing a character’s strengths.
These cheat codes are programmed into the software and exist as remnants of development or as purposefully hidden rewards.
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a ploy or technique that bypasses traditional methods or rules in order to improve oneself or one’s success.
We don’t know what sort of cheat code he may have discovered to pass the audition, but his mediocre talent sure has us wondering.
Etymology
Origin of cheat code
First recorded in 1990–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
UCLA’s great 6-foot-7 center and cheat code saved the day Monday, scoring 21 of her career-high 35 points in the second half, when the Bruins got tight and the Cowgirls got closer.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
They do supply a cheat code to flex authority away from the org chart’s lines of command.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
As arguably the best centre in the world, he is also the "cheat code" England hope can help deliver a first Ashes series victory over the Kangaroos since 1970.
From BBC • Oct. 25, 2025
In other words, if you want an IUD but are afraid of the pain, the cheat code is to call up your local abortion provider.
From Slate • Sep. 7, 2025
A gamer stepping out onto the internet to find a cheat code certainly reaches this first renaissance's level of awareness and skill.
From Open Source Democracy by Rushkoff, Douglas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
