swindle
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
an act of swindling or a fraudulent transaction or scheme.
-
anything deceptive; a fraud.
This advertisement is a real swindle.
verb
-
to cheat (someone) of money, etc; defraud
-
(tr) to obtain (money, etc) by fraud
noun
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. )
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
Tricky Terms for April Fool's Day
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A Streetcar Named Desire
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The Distance Between Us
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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
In 2007, a Canadian judge ruled that Felderhof had been unaware of the swindle and found him not guilty of insider trading.
From BBC • May 18, 2024
And Uber is helping investigators to try to catch whoever was behind the attempted swindle.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2024
“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.
