as in scams
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 cheats
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 swindles
Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2025
Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Noun
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
Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
He gets chased by cops, swindles the wrong ping-pong goobers and becomes embroiled in a canine extortion scheme.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swindles
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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Online scams thrive when people stay silent, but sharing stories like Joe's helps others stay alert.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Blashill wants the Blackhawks to be a fast-pressure team at both ends of the rink, one that attacks vertically but never cheats for offense.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Satire is brilliant for exposing the folly of humans, especially those in power and those working in bad faith—the hypocrites and the frauds—and can be particularly potent when set in irrational or dystopic times.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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Notice how these two Third World frauds are in federal custody, not state.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Outerlands stars Dillon as thirtysomething Cass, who hustles jobs as a server, nanny and party drug dealer to make rent on their tiny San Francisco apartment.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
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While everyone else hustles about, the sloth knows that in slowness there is safety and success.—
Kate Siber,
Outside,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Suddenly, Jeff Parker plucks a sighing six-note guitar run, dropping his shoulders into a solo section that carries the tune to its swooning conclusion.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
20 Dec. 2025
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As Natalie walks away from Shayne, possibly for good, and as Venus and some entity named Gabby lunge for each other, Katie Maloney Schwartz Maloney plucks out her earbuds, pulls her sunglasses off her cunty little bob, closes her copy of The Shards, and packs up her bag.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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As the moon follows an elliptical path, Saturn’s gravity stretches and squeezes it.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Dec. 2025
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View gallery - 12 images This recently completed tiny house squeezes a lot of living space into a compact footprint using clever design.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Even though the defeat stings, all the Hurricanes’ goals are still there for the taking.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
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But for Hovland, the lingering frustration of missing Sunday singles and watching Harris English sit out for no fault of his own still stings.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On the flip side, its tunnel-vision focus on the Murdaughs means that the non-Murdaugh, non-murder victims left in their wake, like Mallory and her family or the clients Alex defrauds at work, are reduced to symbols.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swindles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swindles. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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