Synonyms of fleece

fleece 1 of 2

noun

ˈflēs 

as in wool

the hairy covering of a mammal especially when fine, soft, and thick

learning how to shear the fleece off a sheep

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wool
• hair
• coat
• jacket
• fur
• pile
• pelage
• skin
• leather
• pelt
• undercoat
• underfur
• hide

fleece

2 of 2

verb

as in to cheat

to rob by the use of trickery or threats

swindlers who use the telephone to fleece senior citizens out of their savings

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cheat
• squeeze
• pluck
• sting
• hustle
• stick
• screw
• swindle
• beat
• skin
• bilk
• deceive
• stiff
• hose
• do
• defraud
• mulct
• victimize
• bleed
• sucker
• con
• trick
• shake down
• chouse
• ream
• skunk
• rook
• chisel
• short
• fiddle
• flimflam
• nobble
• rip off
• cozen
• exploit
• diddle
• thimblerig
• shortchange
• gaff
• euchre
• fool
• take for a ride
• take to the cleaners
• milk
• wrench
• clip
• betray
• do in
• extort
• gouge
• sell a bill of goods to
• soak
• gull
• overcharge
• nick
• wring
• rope (in)
• dupe
• wrest
• bitch
• double-cross
• bamboozle
• fast-talk

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fleece

Noun

In the early half of the twentieth century, people were simpler, easier to fleece. —Laura Brown, Artforum, 25 Mar. 2026

The collection spans unisex fleece sets, tees and sweaters, pajama sets, swimwear and accessories. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 24 Mar. 2026

Verb

Its activities go well beyond narcotics, to include timeshare fraud that fleeces Americans out of millions of dollars, US officials say. —Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026

Compared with the ostensible consequences of the prisoner’s dilemma, getting fleeced in the snowdrift problem’s scenario isn’t quite as disastrous. —Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 23 Feb. 2026