swin·dle

[swin-dl] verb, swin·dled, swin·dling, noun
verb (used with object)
1.
to cheat (a person, business, etc.) out of money or other assets.
2.
to obtain by fraud or deceit.
verb (used without object)
3.
to put forward plausible schemes or use unscrupulous trickery to defraud others; cheat.
noun
4.
an act of swindling or a fraudulent transaction or scheme.
5.
anything deceptive; a fraud: This advertisement is a real swindle.

Origin:
1775–85; back formation from swindler < German Schwindler irresponsible person, promoter of wildcat schemes, cheat, derivative of schwindeln to be dizzy (hence dizzy-minded, irresponsible), defraud, equivalent to schwind- (akin to Old English swindan to languish) + -(e)l- -le + -er -er1

swin·dle·a·ble, adjective
swin·dler, noun
swin·dling·ly, adverb
out·swin·dle, verb (used with object), out·swin·dled, out·swin·dling.


1. cozen, dupe, trick, gull.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To swindle
00:10
Swindle is one of our favorite verbs.
So is peculate. Does it mean:
to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.
to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.
Collins
World English Dictionary
swindle (ˈswɪndəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to cheat (someone) of money, etc; defraud
2.  (tr) to obtain (money, etc) by fraud
 
n
3.  a fraudulent scheme or transaction
 
[C18: back formation from German Schwindler, from schwindeln, from Old High German swintilōn, frequentative of swintan to disappear]
 
'swindler
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Example sentences
The representatives want to swap the swindle under carpet.
It would be explosive if high pay continued to be seen as a swindle.
Their duties range from checking that market traders do not swindle customers
  to tracking down brothels.
The local bases do a decent job of tracking dealers that swindle service
  members.
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