The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word DIDDLES
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More clues leading to the result DIDDLES
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "cheats" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case cheats = diddles.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does DIDDLES mean?
DIDDLES verb- To cheat; to swindle.
- To have sex with.
- To masturbate (especially of women).
- To waste time.
- To totter, like a child learning to walk; to daddle.
- To manipulate a value at the level of individual bits (binary digits).