Synonyms of fleecing

fleecing 1 of 2

noun

as in extortion

the exaction of a grossly excessive charge for goods or services

the fleecing of the summer tourists seems to be a time-honored tradition on that resort island

Synonyms & Similar Words

• extortion
• gouging
• cheating
• highway robbery
• overcharging
• swindling
• defrauding
• skinning
• chiseling

fleecing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fleece

as in cheating

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

• cheating
• squeezing
• plucking
• hustling
• stinging
• screwing
• beating
• defrauding
• sticking
• swindling
• bilking
• deceiving
• doing
• victimizing
• bleeding
• mulcting
• conning
• suckering
• shortchanging
• rooking
• tricking
• exploiting
• stiffing
• shorting
• fiddling
• reaming
• chiseling
• diddling
• gaffing
• cozening
• hosing
• fooling
• skinning
• shaking down
• nobbling
• betraying
• extorting
• ripping off
• euchring
• chousing
• flimflamming
• thimblerigging
• doing in
• gouging
• overcharging
• wrenching
• taking for a ride
• milking
• skunking
• taking to the cleaners
• duping
• clipping
• selling a bill of goods to
• gulling
• wringing
• soaking
• nicking
• wresting
• bamboozling
• bitching
• double-crossing
• roping (in)
• fast-talking

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fleecing

Noun

Thanks to its fleecing of New Orleans during last year’s draft, Atlanta gets either the Pelicans’ or the Bucks’ first-round pick — whichever winds up higher. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 6 May 2026

Verb

But a motley array of other people—advocates of free love, avant-garde painters, grifters fleecing ex-aristocrats—took advantage of the chaos to promote their own agendas. — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026

Both men admitted fleecing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a COVID-19 government loan program in 2020 and then transferring some of that money to Veintemilla to help fund the assassination plot. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026

For five years running, Americans have had to live with wallet-fleecing, budget-busting, paycheck-eating inflation – including a painful stretch where the pace of price hikes hit a 40-year high. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

The Thunder even improved before the trade deadline by fleecing the Philadelphia 76ers for a strong rookie scorer (Jared McCain) only for a first-round pick (2026) and three second-round picks. — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026

The former president of one of the largest homeowners associations in Florida — and her husband — admitted in court on Thursday afternoon to their roles in fleecing $2 million from residents’ monthly maintenance fees. — Grethel Aguila, Sun Sentinel, 1 May 2026

Before that crackdown, the government had brought fraud charges against dozens of people, many of them Somali Americans, who were accused of fleecing a federal program that was meant to provide food to children. — Mark Vancleave, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026

So congratulations on fleecing our state, and the city and the county of Boulder for more than $70 million when the deal could have been closed for $3 million to $5 million! — Bob Marshall, Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2026

Shaun Benward, 38, of Mississippi was charged with fleecing employees at the Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood during a December 2018 visit. — William Morris, Des Moines Register, 11 Feb. 2026