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swindle

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb swindle contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of swindle are cheat, cozen, and defraud. While all these words mean "to get something by dishonesty or deception," swindle implies large-scale cheating by misrepresentation or abuse of confidence.

swindled of their savings by con artists

When would cheat be a good substitute for swindle?

The words cheat and swindle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.

cheated me out of a dollar

When might cozen be a better fit than swindle?

The synonyms cozen and swindle are sometimes interchangeable, but cozen implies artful persuading or flattering to attain a thing or a purpose.

always able to cozen her grandfather out of a few dollars

When could defraud be used to replace swindle?

The meanings of defraud and swindle largely overlap; however, defraud stresses depriving one of his or her rights and usually connotes deliberate perversion of the truth.

defrauded of her inheritance by an unscrupulous lawyer

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 swindle
Noun
Martini plays Porter Baldwin, a cutthroat East Coast businessman clawing his way back to respectability through a land swindle in the West. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2025 According to a press release from Ellison’s office, a jury found Yusuf guilty of six counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle. Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
There are telltale signs that something is fishy — and ways to reduce your chances of being swindled. Sarah Hutter, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025 The indictment against him in U.S. District Court in Manhattan says that many of the people swindled in the scheme were retail investors and military veterans. Dan Mangan, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for swindle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swindle
Noun
  • This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • And this scam landscape was already surging.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Student use of artificial intelligence has become so prevalent, high school and college educators say, that to assign writing outside of the classroom is like asking students to cheat.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
  • There are things worse than cheating.
    Essence, Essence, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • My sister looked up at me and ever so gently, with barely perceptible pressure, squeezed my hand.
    Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • If real estate values turn soft in a region, the decline could squeeze a crucial revenue stream for cities, counties, regional agencies and school districts.
    George Avalos, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The lakes froze thick enough to skate across, the air stung sharp in the lungs, and the game every boy seemed to dream about was hockey.
    Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
  • It’s revealed that Sklar was Lori’s inspiration as a child to become an artist, only to crush that spark a dozen or so years later with stinging cruelty.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Yet there’s a relaxed comfort to dinner in the airy concrete-floored loft, starting with the Taiwanese sausage that arrives as an early bite, wedged into homemade brioche like a tiny hot dog and plucked up between two fingers.
    The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The Orioles plucked him in the Rule 5 draft after a tragic plane crash claimed their top catching prospect.
    Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Instead of hustling for one-day bookings, Patel engineered a system where one client often meant three to five events—maximizing return and loyalty.
    Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Farnaz Farjam, one of the show’s executive producers, told Deadline that the production hustled to find a way to capture all three elements.
    Peter White, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Ballmer has stated that he was defrauded by Sanberg, who has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of fraud (Aspiration is bankrupt).
    Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The suit accuses Haman of running an online retailer, Quba Pro Inc, that allegedly defrauded Cornerstone by raising money in a financing agreement and diverting the funds.
    Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This requires honesty, particularly self-honesty, as leaders can deceive themselves with what seems like progress.
    Dmitry Malin, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The band’s attorneys said that consumers could be easily deceived by the products allegedly sold on the marketplace, which could, in turn, cause reputational damage for Twenty One Pilots and its legitimate products.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Swindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swindle. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

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