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
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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
Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
He was convicted of financial card fraud in 1990, theft by check twice in 1990, two counts of issuing a worthless check in 1994, theft by check in 1994, four counts of theft by swindle in October 2002 and one count two months later.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025
Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 20 Apr. 2025
On this week’s podcast, Mark Seal explains how amateur sleuths busted a multi-national cyber-scam
April 12, 2025
This week, Mark Seal reveals the amateur detectives who busted a group of cyber-scammers who impersonated Brad Pitt and swindled a woman out of more than $850,000.
—Air Mail, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swindle
Noun
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
He was convicted of financial card fraud in 1990, theft by check twice in 1990, two counts of issuing a worthless check in 1994, theft by check in 1994, four counts of theft by swindle in October 2002 and one count two months later.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
The investigation highlighted data from the California State Chancellor’s Office, which estimated a quarter of community college applicants were bots in 2024, and that the bot army swindled the state and federal government out of $13 million in student aid in the 12 months ending in April.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 20 Apr. 2025
On this week’s podcast, Mark Seal explains how amateur sleuths busted a multi-national cyber-scam
April 12, 2025
This week, Mark Seal reveals the amateur detectives who busted a group of cyber-scammers who impersonated Brad Pitt and swindled a woman out of more than $850,000.
—Air Mail, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swindle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swindle
Noun
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The latest round of scam texts have been reported by departments of motor vehicles in at least three states: New York, Florida and California.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
24 May 2025
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Such scams exploit investor enthusiasm and poor regulation to inflate prices before insiders sell off their holdings.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Verb
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But death in the Final Destination movies has a way of coming for those who cheat their fate, and in this case, the grim reaper wants the survivors of the Skyview disaster and their blood relatives.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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Brunson ultimately aligned himself with fan-favorite LA Knight after Haliburton tried helping Paul to cheat during the match by giving him brass knuckles.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Martinez’s son squeezed the trigger five times, shooting Rivera to death and wounding two others, the detective wrote in the affidavit.—
Matthew Ormseth,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
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Umberto Rispoli squeezed between horses around the top of the stretch and then rode Journalism to a tremendous rally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
24 May 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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In March 2023, DiBiase pleaded guilty to one federal charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
21 May 2025
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Boeing agreed last year to plead guilty to defrauding regulators after the crashes of two 737 Max jets, in 2018 and 2019, that killed 346 people.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Their book has already generated a national debate about whether the White House deceived the public about the president’s condition and how Biden’s late exit from the race undermined the Democratic Party’s chances of stopping a second term for President Trump.—
Stephen Battaglio,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
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Although Bristol’s spring race may appear to have sparse crowds, this is somewhat deceiving.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swindle. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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