Definition of swindle
swindled
;swindling
play \ˈswin(d)-liŋ, ˈswin-dəl-iŋ\intransitive verb
: to obtain money or property by fraud or deceit
transitive verb
: to take money or property from by fraud or deceit
From the M-W Editors
Examples of swindle in a Sentence
hundreds of people were swindled out of their savings, and all they had to show for it were fake land deeds
Recent Examples of swindle from the Web
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The session centered around his campaign contributor, Charles Keating Jr., who was convicted of swindling investors.
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Both men were booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna with theft by cheating and swindling valued at $300 to $499.
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Unable to pay exorbitant smuggling fees or swindled by traffickers, some of the world’s most desperate people are being held as slaves, tortured or forced into prostitution.
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Before opening his food cart, owner Darren Bottinelli had been a thief, swindling more than $3 million from the health savings accounts of poor and disabled employees through his benefits administration company, Axis Health Partners.
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Helms pleaded guilty in 2014 to swindling his investors out of tens of thousands of dollars, with a plan that called for buying and reselling heavy equipment.
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His sleuthing is an adjunct to his primary and less dramatic job—helping buyers who have been swindled, conned, or overcharged for art.
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Two members of a car crash ring that swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars from insurers by intentionally driving cars into trees were convicted of fraud and conspiracy charges Thursday by a federal jury in New Haven.
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What: During the Great Depression, a con man named Moses Pray (Ryan O’Neal) teams up with a little girl named Addie (Tatum O’Neal) and unlikely partners swindle their way across Kansas.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'swindle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of swindle
back-formation from swindler, from German Schwindler giddy person, from schwindeln to be dizzy, from Old High German swintilōn, frequentative of swintan to diminish, vanish; akin to Old English swindan to vanish
Synonym Discussion of swindle
Examples of swindle in a Sentence
a swindle that involved selling a lot of land that really didn't exist
identity theft has become one of the most frequent and feared swindles of our time
Recent Examples of swindle from the Web
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Even victims of the swindles don't often pursue legal remedies.
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The conman is exposed for his swindles, and gets his just desserts, or doesn't.
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After his conviction in an unrelated stock swindle, Delgado was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2004.
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The movie, premiering at 7 p.m. Saturday, stars Robert De Niro as Madoff, the man who made headlines because of his financial swindle that ruined lives, and Michelle Pfeiffer as wife Ruth Madoff.
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My growing sense of the swindle of romance culture—and the cynical price tag attached to it—is tempered by this reminder of what is, in the end, the basis of all hope: the persistence of individual virtue.
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Dennis Edward Becker, 47, has been charged by summons with three counts of felony theft by swindle for allegedly stealing the money in 2014, 2015 and the first half of 2016.
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That history wasn’t always happy for Tubman, whose later years were often marred by the health ramifications of years of brutal enslavement and a violent gold swindle that increased her economic woes.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'swindle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of swindle
1821
SWINDLE Defined for English Language Learners
swindle
playDefinition of swindle for English Language Learners
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: to take money or property from (someone) by using lies or tricks
SWINDLE Defined for Kids
Definition of swindle for Students
: an act or instance of getting money or property from someone dishonestly
Learn More about swindle
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See words that rhyme with swindle Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for swindle Spanish Central: Translation of swindle Nglish: Translation of swindle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of swindle for Arabic speakers
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