as in scam
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
Relevance
as in to cheat
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of swindle
Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2025
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
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
Many indigenous groups on this continent whom settlers swindled, attacked, and displaced have a long history of using sweat lodges both for cleaning the body and in ritual.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Curbed, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for swindle
Noun
The alleged ringleader of the scam, Kira Milany Romero Pinto, 40, of Lake Elmo, is now facing a felony racketeering charge and 11 felony counts of theft by swindle in Washington County District Court.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 5 Nov. 2025
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
Verb
Robin Williams was swindled a few times.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
Many indigenous groups on this continent whom settlers swindled, attacked, and displaced have a long history of using sweat lodges both for cleaning the body and in ritual.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Curbed, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for swindle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swindle
Noun
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An alleged $20 million insurance scam on Mount Everest saw climbers subjected to staged rescues and admitted to hospitals across Kathmandu in a scheme to fraudulently claim insurance money, Nepali authorities say.—
Manish Paudel,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
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Shah served less than three years of her 6½-year sentence after pleading guilty in July 2022 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a nationwide investment scam that targeted mostly elderly, vulnerable women.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported on the cheating epidemic that has overtaken schools and universities as students outsource their assignments to a chat bot.—
Peter Smagorinsky,
AJC.com,
30 Mar. 2026
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An angler competing in a walleye derby on Saskatchewan’s Montreal Lake was kicked out of the ice-fishing tournament Saturday after being accused of cheating.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Skiers and snowboarders trying to squeeze the last bits of winter fun from Colorado‘s meager snowpack will have one less option after this week, with Vail Resort set to close 11 days sooner than planned.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
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The disruption has not only sent fuel prices soaring, but has squeezed supplies of petrochemicals needed to make everyday items like shoes, clothing and plastic bags.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Alcohol can be stinging and drying to the skin.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Anyone who is stung repeatedly or has trouble breathing should call 911.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Somberness, as well as anger and sadness, color the majority of the songs plucked from Springsteen's vast catalog to underscore the reason for this 20-date tour.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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My niece requested an extra five minutes to say goodbye to the chickens and my nephew insisted on plucking just one more lemon from the yard.—
Lara Kramer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The dads and sons hustled to a nearby dirt patch.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Minnesota pulled even in the fourth when Byron Buxton hustled home on sacrifice fly by Josh Bell.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The defendants were accused of running sham hospice care facilities that defrauded Medicare by using people without terminal illnesses as beneficiaries, according to the California Justice Department.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2026
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The LinkedIn post that McCormick allegedly responded to with an emoji touted a court verdict that could cost Musk upwards of $2 billion for defrauding Twitter investors.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The specifications on the Neo can be deceiving.—
Dwight Silverman,
Houston Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
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Klipsch Austin Portable Bluetooth Speaker Deal Don't be deceived by the small Klipsch Austin portable speaker.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swindle. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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