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swindle

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of swindle

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 of swindle

bunco (or bunko), con, flimflam, fraud, gyp, hustle, scam, sting
Words Related to swindle

cross, fix

Ponzi scheme, pyramid scheme

racket, rip-off

thimblerig, three-card monte

device, dodge, gimmick, jig, ploy, scheme, sleight, stratagem, trick, wile

counterfeit, fake, forgery, hoax, humbug, phony (also phoney), sham

swindle

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of swindle

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 of swindle

beat, bilk, bleed, cheat, chisel, con, cozen, defraud, do, do in, fiddle, fleece, flimflam, gaff, gyp, hustle, mulct, pluck, ream, rip off, rook, screw, shake down, short, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, stiff, sting, victimize
Words Related to swindle

extort, wrench, wrest, wring

clip, gouge, nick, overcharge, soak

exploit, milk

deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick

rope (in)

betray, double-cross

bamboozle, fast-talk
Phrases Synonymous with swindle

sell a bill of goods to, take for a ride, take to the cleaners

Synonym Discussion of swindle

cheat, cozen, defraud, swindle mean to get something by dishonesty or deception. cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.
    • cheated me out of a dollar
cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.
    • always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars
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
swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence.
    • swindled of their savings by con artists

Learn More about swindle

  1. See words that rhyme with swindle Dictionary: Definition of 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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