swindle
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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an act of swindling or a fraudulent transaction or scheme.
-
anything deceptive; a fraud.
This advertisement is a real swindle.
verb
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to cheat (someone) of money, etc; defraud
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(tr) to obtain (money, etc) by fraud
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have swindledperfect
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has swindledperfect 3rd person singular
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have been swindlingperfect progressive
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are swindlingprogressive
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has been swindlingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am swindlingprogressive 1st person singular
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is swindlingprogressive 3rd person singular
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swindlessingular 3rd person
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swindlingparticiple
Past
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had swindledperfect
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was swindlingprogressive singular
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had been swindlingperfect progressive
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were swindlingprogressive plural
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swindledsimple
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swindledparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of swindle
First recorded in 1775–85; back formation from swindler ( def. )
Explanation
To swindle is to cheat or steal. You can swindle money, goods, ideas, and anything else that can be stolen, but be careful, because someone can also swindle you. In the late 1700s, the verb swindle formed from swindler, which means “giddy person, cheat.” Swindle can be a noun or a verb. When you get something by less than honest means, that’s a swindle. A successful act of swindle often involves some scheme or rigging of the system. Hollywood loves a good swindle — think of all the movies that show a bank robbery or people lying about who they are. Another funny word for swindle is bamboozle.
Vocabulary lists containing swindle
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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.
And while they concede that seniors may be more frequently targeted online than those younger, that, too, is based on a false assumption—that their age will make them easier to swindle.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
“Ah, this odious swindle, human life,” he swore, after his daughter Jean endured a major epileptic seizure.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025
"With so many people seeking properties online, scammers will look for opportunities to take advantage and swindle people out of their money," he said.
From BBC • Sep. 24, 2023
That fuelled speculation in Zambian media that some of the suspects might have sought to swindle gold buyers in a fake bullion scam.
From Reuters • Aug. 30, 2023
“It’s done. Buster said it out loud, and nearly every human in the system heard him say it. ‘Mercerism is a swindle.’
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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.
