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
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Recent Examples of swindle
Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025
Among the top swindles is one in which people extort money by pretending an arrest warrant has been issued for the victim, Smith said.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 6 May 2025
Nacho is a trans man who was arrested for swindling and started a rock band in jail.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swindle
Noun
And last year's $30 million in romance swindles was up from 2023's $24.4 million.
—Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025
Among the top swindles is one in which people extort money by pretending an arrest warrant has been issued for the victim, Smith said.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
Ozer swindled $207,100 from that project, falsifying bank records and forging correspondence from another producer to cover his tracks, officials said.
—Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 6 May 2025
Nacho is a trans man who was arrested for swindling and started a rock band in jail.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swindle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swindle
Noun
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Thankfully, all the scam spam doesn’t seem to have killed anyone’s appetite for the grift as a genre.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
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Vague delivery details could signal a scam Here's how the scam works, according to the BBB: Need a break?—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
Verb
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The responsibility and reasoning behind infidelity lie solely with the person who cheated.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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After reconciling, the former couple still faced several challenges, including cheating allegations and public social media fallouts.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Hundreds of people squeezed into the Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colo., for a vigil that featured prayer, singing and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses of the firebombing attack in the city’s downtown, after a federal judge blocked the deportation of the suspect’s family.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
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In some towns, utility poles were removed so the caravans could squeeze through.—
Angela Jackson,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Its allure is rooted in seeing the celebrity guest melt beneath the weight of hot sauce: Shaq’s eyes stung red with tears, viscera gushed from O’Brien nose.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
27 May 2025
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Recent history suggests that Republicans would take few lessons from even a stinging rebuke in the midterms.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
23 May 2025
Verb
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The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles have drawn the blueprint on perpetually pouring resources into the front seven on defense, consistently plucking players from SEC schools and throwing them onto an assembly line of quarterback mashers.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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Women dominate the lower tiers of tea labor, from plucking to packaging and remain vastly underrepresented in management, ownership, or policy influence.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Verb
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Police officers, firefighters and service members hustled to unload carloads of diapers, car seats, clothes, toys, books and toiletries that residents had dropped off.—
Tammy Murga,
Mercury News,
23 May 2025
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Neal Moritz was hustling the heck out of this from the jump.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Federal prosecutors in Texas identified 80 victims defrauded of nearly $40 million by Charles Carrier since 2018.—
Anjeanette Damon,
ProPublica,
30 May 2025
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Then they were convicted of conspiracy to defraud banks out of more than $30 million in loans.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Even children who are online only in small doses likely see false or inaccurate information that might deceive them.—
Evan Orticio,
Scientific American,
2 June 2025
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In November, Dove pleaded guilty in Gaston County to a dozen felony charges related to illegally accessing police computer systems and helping someone deceive a polygraph test, The Gaston Gazette reported.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swindle. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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