swindle

[ swin-dl ]

/ ˈswɪn dl /

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See synonyms for: swindle / swindled / swindling / swindler on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), swin·dled, swin·dling.

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

to obtain by fraud or deceit.

verb (used without object), swin·dled, swin·dling.

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

noun

an act of swindling or a fraudulent transaction or scheme.

anything deceptive; a fraud: This advertisement is a real swindle.

OTHER WORDS FOR swindle

1 cozen, dupe, trick, deceive, bamboozle.

See synonyms for swindle on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of swindle

First recorded in 1775–85; back formation from swindler

OTHER WORDS FROM swindle

swin·dle·a·ble, adjectiveswin·dler, nounswin·dling·ly, adverbout·swin·dle, verb (used with object), out·swin·dled, out·swin·dling.

Words nearby swindle

swimming pool, swimsuit, swimwear, swim with the tide, Swinburne, swindle, swindled, swindler, swindle sheet, Swindon, swine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use swindle in a sentence

Flimflam felt better in the mouth than swindle, and rubberneck was a more agreeable verb than crane.
From ‘Scientist’ to ‘Spam,’ the Surprisingly Playful Origins of English Words|Ralph Keyes|April 1, 2021|Time
An illegal stock tip is not the same thing as a swindle; but $68 million buys a lot of basketballs and BB guns.
What Tolstoy Teaches Us About Insider Trading|Liesl Schillinger|June 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Another way of looking at it: How many Bernard Madoffs would it take to swindle the US taxpayer out of $1.2 trillion?
The Wall Street Journal's Trillion-Dollar Error|Christopher Buckley|January 14, 2009|DAILY BEAST
I know where it claims to be, and I know it is just one big swindle from beginning to end.
The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch|Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter

He said it was a bad swindle and he knew many others who had lost their money, too, which I thought would please you.
The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch|Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter
Bois l'Hery's horses were unsound, Schwalbach's gallery was a swindle, Moessard's articles a recognised blackmail.
The Nabob|Alphonse Daudet
The whole thing was a cleverly-planned swindle, and unless you can get the bonds back you'll be out the money.
The Rover Boys on the Farm|Arthur M. Winfield (AKA Edward Stratemeyer)
That is true, too,—although I somehow think Merrick is the prime mover in this swindle.
The Rover Boys on the Farm|Arthur M. Winfield (AKA Edward Stratemeyer)

British Dictionary definitions for swindle

swindle

/ (ˈswɪndəl) /

verb

to cheat (someone) of money, etc; defraud

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

noun

a fraudulent scheme or transaction

Derived forms of swindle

swindler, noun

Word Origin for swindle

C18: back formation from German Schwindler, from schwindeln, from Old High German swintilōn, frequentative of swintan to disappear

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

swindle

OTHER WORDS FOR swindle

Origin of swindle

OTHER WORDS FROM swindle

Words nearby swindle

Words related to swindle

How to use swindle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for swindle

Derived forms of swindle

Word Origin for swindle