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View synonyms for swindle

swindle

[ swin-dl ]

verb (used with object)

, swin·dled, swin·dling.
  1. to cheat (a person, business, etc.) out of money or other assets.

    Synonyms: bamboozle, deceive, trick, dupe, cozen

  2. to obtain by fraud or deceit.


verb (used without object)

, swin·dled, swin·dling.
  1. to put forward plausible schemes or use unscrupulous trickery to defraud others; cheat.

noun

  1. an act of swindling or a fraudulent transaction or scheme.
  2. anything deceptive; a fraud:

    This advertisement is a real swindle.

swindle

/ ˈswɪndəl /

verb

  1. to cheat (someone) of money, etc; defraud
  2. tr to obtain (money, etc) by fraud


noun

  1. a fraudulent scheme or transaction

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Derived Forms

  • ˈswindler, noun

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Other Words From

  • swin·dle·a·ble adjective
  • swin·dler noun
  • swin·dling·ly adverb
  • out·swin·dle verb (used with object) outswindled outswindling

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Word History and Origins

Origin of swindle1

First recorded in 1775–85; back formation from swindler ( def )

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Word History and Origins

Origin of swindle1

C18: back formation from German Schwindler, from schwindeln, from Old High German swintilōn, frequentative of swintan to disappear

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Example Sentences

Flimflam felt better in the mouth than swindle, and rubberneck was a more agreeable verb than crane.

From Time

An illegal stock tip is not the same thing as a swindle; but $68 million buys a lot of basketballs and BB guns.

Another way of looking at it: How many Bernard Madoffs would it take to swindle the US taxpayer out of $1.2 trillion?

I know where it claims to be, and I know it is just one big swindle from beginning to end.

He said it was a bad swindle and he knew many others who had lost their money, too, which I thought would please you.

Bois l'Hery's horses were unsound, Schwalbach's gallery was a swindle, Moessard's articles a recognised blackmail.

The whole thing was a cleverly-planned swindle, and unless you can get the bonds back you'll be out the money.

That is true, too,—although I somehow think Merrick is the prime mover in this swindle.

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