swindle 1 of 2

swindle

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb swindle contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of swindle are cheat, cozen, and defraud. While all these words mean "to get something by dishonesty or deception," swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence.

swindled of their savings by con artists

When would cheat be a good substitute for swindle?

The words cheat and swindle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

When might cozen be a better fit than swindle?

The synonyms cozen and swindle are sometimes interchangeable, but cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.

always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars

When could defraud be used to replace swindle?

The meanings of defraud and swindle largely overlap; however, defraud stresses depriving one of his or her rights and usually connotes deliberate perversion of the truth.

defrauded of her inheritance by an unscrupulous lawyer

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of swindle
Noun
Five other felony theft by swindle charges were dismissed at sentencing, which was attended by several of the school’s administrators and staff. Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 11 June 2025 Clark also had to consider how the swindle would affect customers. Phil Wahba, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2024
Verb
After swindling his way into loads of cash, Yoshii gradually attempts to disconnect from humanity, moving out of the city, shunning his girlfriend, and entrusting duties to his new, devoted assistant. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 July 2025 Fans routinely collapsed at his concerts, an act that swindled into the 1990s. Ime Ekpo, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for swindle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swindle
Noun
  • What To Know Investigators said the scam typically unfolds over four stages.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Beware of scams and phishing Watch for suspicious activity: Be cautious of any emails or messages that ask for personal information about your baby or family.
    Tinybeans Team, Miami Herald, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • This year has already seen examples of AI systems willing to deceive, cheat and steal to achieve their goals.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
  • And rebuilding trust – as anyone knows who has lied or cheated – is far harder than protecting it.
    Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • To squeeze all this into exactly 100 days between Wrexham staging a promotion party after last season had ended and Tuesday’s cup tie against Hull is impressive.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Ewers was impressive finding A.J. Henning on one throw and squeezed a pass into a tight window to running back Ollie Gordon II.
    David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • As for the number of people stung, the beach patrol doesn’t have numbers.
    Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 30 July 2025
  • The other hallmark symptoms include swelling—especially around the lips, eyelids or extremities—and a burning or stinging sensation in affected areas.
    Elizabeth Yuko, Flow Space, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • Pieces from Stock are often plucked by stylists for celebrity editorials for Vanity Fair, Esquire and GQ.
    Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Unlike many popular artists, she was never classically trained or in any other bands, nor was she plucked from obscurity to perform assembly-line creations.
    Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • This was where Leclerc’s innate ability to hustle a car through a qualifying lap and extract every last ounce of pace made all the difference.
    Luke Smith, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2025
  • She’s been hustling on brand deals as well, some that have, like the American Eagle campaign, landed with some controversy.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Thirteen individuals have been charged in connection with operating scam call centers that raked in over $5 million by defrauding 400 older adults across the nation, federal prosecutors said.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Telfair was among 18 former NBA players who were charged in October 2021 with pocketing about $2.5 million by defrauding the NBA’s health and welfare benefit plan with a scam that involved fake medical and dental expenses.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But appearances can be deceiving because there's a lot of bright side here.
    Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Language can easily deceive The deeper issue is that language itself is a tool of manipulation.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Swindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swindle. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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