as in cheated
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
Relevance
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 swindled
The seizures were the result of an investigation launched after Andress reported to Swiss authorities that she had been swindled out of assets by financial advisers.
—
ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
But according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Santa Barbara, Ireland and her husband have been swindled out of their home equity and their life insurance policies, forced to sell their home, and left without substantial savings.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
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
This was partly out of deference to a president who thinks not of enemies but only of potential counterparties to be bargained with, bullied, swindled, or accommodated.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
But the attempt at humor didn’t satisfy some angry fans who believe Mets President David Stearns swindled Getz in a trade that essentially was a salary dump.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
Some alleged Sunlight simply stopped working while the job was only partway completed; the rest said they were swindled out of downpayments and ended up with nothing.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
The investors' attorneys said about $46 million of the money the pair swindled from their investors went to pay for expensive cars.
—Steffanie Dupree, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
But according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Santa Barbara, Ireland and her husband have been swindled out of their home equity and their life insurance policies, forced to sell their home, and left without substantial savings.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
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
This was partly out of deference to a president who thinks not of enemies but only of potential counterparties to be bargained with, bullied, swindled, or accommodated.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
But the attempt at humor didn’t satisfy some angry fans who believe Mets President David Stearns swindled Getz in a trade that essentially was a salary dump.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
Some alleged Sunlight simply stopped working while the job was only partway completed; the rest said they were swindled out of downpayments and ended up with nothing.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
The investors' attorneys said about $46 million of the money the pair swindled from their investors went to pay for expensive cars.
—Steffanie Dupree, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swindled
Verb
-
Teddy, specifically, has also cheated death on the series several times.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Indigenous people have been cheated through laws such as are operated in Nigeria today.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The dads and sons hustled to a nearby dirt patch.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
Our guide in Moscow, Tanya, was a middle-aged woman who wore thick glasses plucked from a swiveling Optika stand at a Metro station.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Anyone who is stung repeatedly or has trouble breathing should call 911.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
These scandals stung at the time, but looking back, Cyrus wouldn’t have changed a thing.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some parents feel squeezed when gifted assets significantly appreciate, according to Robert Westley of Northern Trust.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Higher gas prices can also hurt sales inside the gas stations, if customers who are being squeezed at the pump spend less on other things.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
A lot of times, much of a Hollywood memoir is someone saying this person screwed me over, this bad thing happened, and so on.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Harper is thrilled, Whitney is screwed.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
In December 2025, YouTuber Nick Shirley posted a video claiming child care centers run by Somalians in Minnesota had defrauded the state government of more than $110 million through this program.—
Jess Huff,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The average commuter spends 63 hours a year stuck in traffic.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The suspect was stuck in the shoulder while a stray bullet grazed a sleeping 71-year-old in a near by home.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swindled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swindled. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
