Synonyms of swindle

swindle 1 of 2

noun

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

• scam
• fraud
• con
• bunko
• scheme
• hoax
• flimflam
• sting
• bunco
• shell game
• fiddle
• trick
• hustle
• device
• racket
• cross
• counterfeit
• stratagem
• Ponzi scheme
• fix
• ploy
• pyramid scheme
• dodge
• rip-off
• forgery
• phoney
• sham
• jig
• gouging
• fake
• overcharging
• phony
• gimmick
• wile
• soaking
• sleight
• humbug
• three-card monte
• thimblerig

swindle

2 of 2

verb

ˈswin-dᵊl 

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

• cheat
• squeeze
• sting
• pluck
• hustle
• defraud
• deceive
• bilk
• screw
• stick
• beat
• victimize
• con
• trick
• flimflam
• mulct
• sucker
• do
• fleece
• bleed
• exploit
• shortchange
• nobble
• shake down
• cozen
• chouse
• fiddle
• skin
• euchre
• diddle
• gaff
• chisel
• rook
• ream
• stiff
• rip off
• short
• fool
• skunk
• betray
• extort
• hose
• take for a ride
• take to the cleaners
• thimblerig
• do in
• wrench
• gouge
• sell a bill of goods to
• dupe
• overcharge
• clip
• wring
• nick
• double-cross
• wrest
• gull
• soak
• milk
• bamboozle
• rope (in)
• bitch
• fast-talk

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

Recent Examples of swindle

Noun

The swindles also involved fake investments, phony sweepstakes, and tech support scams in which a person was contacted and told there was something wrong with their computer, which could be corrected for a fee. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2025

Speaking about her latest endeavor, Mosley walks PEOPLE through her approach to swindles and stings as viewers will soon see on TV. —Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 5 Dec. 2024

Verb

She was also left with a feeling that she’d been swindled by health care companies into having to pay both physically and emotionally for wanting the best for her son. —Marquise Francis, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025

Holmes swindled investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars by falsely claiming her company had invented a device that could run complex medical tests with just a single drop of blood. —Julia Bonavita, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2025