The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word BEGU(ILED
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
B
E
G
U
(
I
L
E
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "cheated" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case cheated = begu(iled.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 BEGU(ILED mean?
BEGU(ILED verb- To deceive or delude (using guile).
- To charm, delight or captivate.
- To cause (time) to seem to pass quickly, by way of pleasant diversion.