swindle

American  

[swin-dl] / ˈswɪn dl /

verb (used with object)

swindled, swindling

1. to cheat (a person, business, etc.) out of money or other assets.

   Synonyms:

   bamboozle, deceive, trick, dupe, cozen

2. to obtain by fraud or deceit.

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verb (used without object)

swindled, swindling

1. to put forward plausible schemes or use unscrupulous trickery to defraud others; cheat.

noun

1. an act of swindling or a fraudulent transaction or scheme.

2. anything deceptive; a fraud.

   This advertisement is a real swindle.

swindle British  

/ ˈswɪndəl /

verb

1. to cheat (someone) of money, etc; defraud

2. (tr) to obtain (money, etc) by fraud

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noun

1. a fraudulent scheme or transaction

Other Word Forms

• outswindle verb (used with object)
• swindleable adjective
• swindler noun
• swindlingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of swindle

First recorded in 1775–85; back formation from swindler ( def. )

Example Sentences

Gentile, she added, “basically pulled a Bernie Madoff and swindled people out of their money, and then he gets to go home to his wife and kids.”

From Los Angeles Times

In August, a St. Louis man was convicted of swindling $200,000 from Kohl’s, according to the U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Missouri.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

The problem was she was making plans not with “General Hospital” star Steve Burton, but with a scammer who intended not to romance her, but to swindle her.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms Vouzelaud, 38, then tried to explain to him that he had been swindled and the couple urged him to go to the police to file a complaint.

From BBC

Related Words

• bilk
• con
• deceive
• defraud
• dupe
• extort
• fleece
• gouge
• hoodwink
• overcharge
• victimize