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swindle 1 of 2

Definition of swindlenext

swindle

2 of 2

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
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
Navedo was charged with fraud-swindle-obtain property for $50,000 or more and abuse of an elderly or disabled adult without great bodily harm. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025 In just two years Farm Bank had allegedly swindled some $250 million from 132,000 investors. Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for swindle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swindle
Noun
  • Trailer Park Boys is a faux documentary about three petty criminals running scams from their Halifax trailer park and streams on Netflix.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Just because Trump thinks climate change is a scam, doesn’t mean the rest of the world agrees.
    John D. Sutter, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The only reason that Bikini Frankenstein does not rank higher on this list is because putting a softcore porno at the top would feel like cheating.
    Katie Rife, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
  • But like his predecessor, this Frankenstein is just as obsessed with immortality and cheating death through science.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The Panthers squeezed a few end-of-career seasons out of guys such as Dino Ciccarelli and Igor Larionov.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Instead, 2026 is about building both stylish and sensible outfits that can take you from the airport to the streets with maximum versatility without ever squeezing into tight, form-fitting fabric.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • But the Chiefs not being in the playoffs still stings.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
  • But a lackluster performance during that fall's vice presidential debate did little to help the party avoid stinging losses in November 2024.
    Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • But Haise did lead Lens to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, finished one point behind PSG in 2023, and did, to pluck a one-off game out of the ether, oversee a 2-1 win over Arteta’s Arsenal.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
  • While Marty Supreme is only loosely inspired by Reisman, there are several sequences and character details plucked from his life.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The director points to a mid-film scene in a bowling alley, where Marty and his friend Wally (Tyler Okonma, aka Tyler, the Creator) hustle a small-town crew, as an example of its importance.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Wing/forward Cam Whitmore did not hustle back on defense and continued to play with tunnel vision on offense.
    Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The plaintiff, Shaun Gray, is now facing potential liability for allegedly defrauding the studio and infringing on its copyrights.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Things eventually come to a head back in Cairo, where local police arrest Roper and his team, only for the enraged buyers, who were defrauded due to Pine's intervention, to seize the convoy.
    Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • To keep the most vulnerable safe, Ivan has to decide to confront the soldiers or deceive them at the potential cost of his life.
    Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Relying Too Much On Garbage Disposals Though the name may be deceiving, garbage disposals aren’t actually designed to dispose of all garbage.
    Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Swindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swindle. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on swindle

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