as in scam
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
identity theft has become one of the most frequent and feared swindles of our time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
hundreds of people were swindled out of their savings, and all they had to show for it were fake land deeds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swindle
Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2025
But cybersecurity experts believe many are coming from the same criminal organizations in Southeast Asia that have been linked to other high-profile swindles in recent years, like romance scams on dating apps.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2025
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
In just two years Farm Bank had allegedly swindled some $250 million from 132,000 investors.
—Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swindle
Noun
The alleged ringleader of the scam, Kira Milany Romero Pinto, 40, of Lake Elmo, is now facing a felony racketeering charge and 11 felony counts of theft by swindle in Washington County District Court.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2025
But cybersecurity experts believe many are coming from the same criminal organizations in Southeast Asia that have been linked to other high-profile swindles in recent years, like romance scams on dating apps.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
Navedo was charged with fraud-swindle-obtain property for $50,000 or more and abuse of an elderly or disabled adult without great bodily harm.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
In just two years Farm Bank had allegedly swindled some $250 million from 132,000 investors.
—Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swindle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swindle
Noun
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Trailer Park Boys is a faux documentary about three petty criminals running scams from their Halifax trailer park and streams on Netflix.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Nov. 2025
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Just because Trump thinks climate change is a scam, doesn’t mean the rest of the world agrees.—
John D. Sutter,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The only reason that Bikini Frankenstein does not rank higher on this list is because putting a softcore porno at the top would feel like cheating.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
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But like his predecessor, this Frankenstein is just as obsessed with immortality and cheating death through science.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Panthers squeezed a few end-of-career seasons out of guys such as Dino Ciccarelli and Igor Larionov.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Instead, 2026 is about building both stylish and sensible outfits that can take you from the airport to the streets with maximum versatility without ever squeezing into tight, form-fitting fabric.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But voters who showed up to the polls on Tuesday had a different point of view and delivered stinging defeats to Republicans.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
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In February, Vance delivered a stinging message to European allies, saying that the biggest threat to Europe did not come from Russia or China, but from within Europe itself, and that he was concerned Europe was moving toward censorship and away from democracy.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Dodgers, with baseball's biggest payroll, have used their financial ability to pluck some of the most sought-after and most expensive free agents on the market.—
Steve Futterman,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
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An all-star cast plucked from different corners of the pop culture firmament leads Ryan Murphy's All's Fair, a Hulu legal drama about female divorce attorneys who open their own practice.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The director points to a mid-film scene in a bowling alley, where Marty and his friend Wally (Tyler Okonma, aka Tyler, the Creator) hustle a small-town crew, as an example of its importance.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
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Wing/forward Cam Whitmore did not hustle back on defense and continued to play with tunnel vision on offense.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The plaintiff, Shaun Gray, is now facing potential liability for allegedly defrauding the studio and infringing on its copyrights.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
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Things eventually come to a head back in Cairo, where local police arrest Roper and his team, only for the enraged buyers, who were defrauded due to Pine's intervention, to seize the convoy.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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To keep the most vulnerable safe, Ivan has to decide to confront the soldiers or deceive them at the potential cost of his life.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
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Relying Too Much On Garbage Disposals Though the name may be deceiving, garbage disposals aren’t actually designed to dispose of all garbage.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swindle. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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