swindled

verb

past tense of swindle
as in cheated
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

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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 swindled Other gamblers just don’t want to get swindled, so anything that smacks too clearly of insider trading can get you in trouble. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 While the men whom Chen allegedly swindled began to grow suspicious of her actions around 2024, the Clark County Marriage Bureau reported her to the police, resulting in the launch of an investigation around the same time. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026 Aller swindled deal after deal on 2022 draft night, garnering future draft picks and getting off enough salary to sign Brunson and more. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 26 May 2026 After over a decade of partnership, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is suing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for more than $130 billion, alleging that Altman and OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman swindled him and betrayed the company’s founding charitable mission. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026 Holder was one of thousands of Americans swindled out of a total estimated at $20 billion by way of cyber theft in 2025, according to the FBI. — Anna Schecter, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026 The seizures were the result of an investigation launched after Andress reported to Swiss authorities that she had been swindled out of assets by financial advisers. — ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026 But according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Santa Barbara, Ireland and her husband have been swindled out of their home equity and their life insurance policies, forced to sell their home, and left without substantial savings. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026 Robin Williams was swindled a few times. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swindled
  1. cheated
  2. hustled
  3. plucked
  4. stung
  5. squeezed
  6. screwed
  7. defrauded
  8. stuck
Verb
  • Child safety advocates and some parents have welcomed age restrictions, while privacy groups say the rules can be cheated and that forcing users to supply identification raises privacy concerns.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Not to be cheated in front of the largest assembly of Hall of Famers since the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, Schwarber flew out twice to deep center field.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheated
Verb
  • Two of the men quickly hopped up and hustled down the sidewalk, while the third sat for a second before replacing the manhole cover, and walked away, the video shows.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Hate crime charges have been filed against a man who disrupted Shabbat services in Manhattan's Central Synagogue and struck two people while being hustled outside Friday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of hustled
Verb
  • He was plucked out of retirement to take on the demanding role of helping in the reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Doubs plucked the ball over Gonzalez, who had successfully backed him near the boundary but couldn’t box out the 6-foot-2 receiver entirely.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of plucked
Verb
  • Spray the nest from a distance to reduce the chances of being stung.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • More than 3,100 people have been stung at Bolsa Chica and Huntington State Beach so far this year, which is at least double last year's total.
    — Michele Gile, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of stung
Verb
  • Breakfast is at Fritz & Felix, lunch is squeezed into the Wintergarten conservatory, and dinner is either ordered to my room or eaten dressed up in the restaurants.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Consumers show signs of strain Recent data indicate that some consumers' budgets are being squeezed.
    — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeezed
Verb
  • The hardest physical part was actually taking down the old blinds, which had been screwed tightly into the window frame years prior.
    — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But the war needs to end because every day that the war continues, America gets weaker, Iran gets stronger, and people here in the United States get screwed, as prices go up, and up and up.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of screwed
Verb
  • Federal prosecutors allege Mwangi defrauded First Financial Bank while seeking financing in 2023 to purchase two companies in Texas.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Five residents of Broward and Palm Beach County are among seven people accused in a nearly $100 million scheme that defrauded workers’ compensation insurers through shell companies, state officials announced Wednesday.
    — Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of defrauded
Verb
  • Investors are wondering if the rally could mark a turning point for bitcoin, whose price has been stuck in a prolonged slump since October, ahead of a seasonally bullish period for the coin.
    — Tanaya Macheel, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
  • For the past few years, Florida’s housing market has been stuck in a strange kind of standoff.
    — Justin Onorato, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of stuck

Browse Nearby Words

swindle
swindled
swindler
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Cite this Entry

“Swindled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swindled. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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