The phrase "widespread cheating" means that a lot of people are dishonestly breaking the rules or cheating on something, and it is happening in many different places or situations. Full definition
In - depth studies have shown that some schools now devote a large part of their year to test prep; Atlanta and DC public schools have both contended with widespread cheating scandals. (salon.com)
Responding to allegations of widespread cheating on tests and coursework, a top Pittsburgh high school has produced «academic integrity» guidelines aimed at stemming future incidents. (edweek.org)
USA Today initially blew the whistle on the likelihood of widespread cheating in 2011. (psmag.com)