cheat, rip off, chisel - deprive somebody of something by deceit; "The con-man beat me out of $50"; "This salesman ripped us off!"; "we were cheated by their clever-sounding scheme"; "They chiseled me out of my money"

disappoint, let down - fail to meet the hopes or expectations of; "Her boyfriend let her down when he did not propose marriage"

foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent, forbid - keep from happening or arising; have the effect of preventing; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"

dash - destroy or break; "dashed ambitions and hopes"

short-circuit - hamper the progress of; impede; "short-circuit warm feelings"

ruin - destroy or cause to fail; "This behavior will ruin your chances of winning the election"

deprive - keep from having, keeping, or obtaining

escape, get away, break loose - run away from confinement; "The convicted murderer escaped from a high security prison"