swindled

verb

past tense of swindle
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

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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 And there’s little reasonable about looking the other way when residents say they’re being swindled or when the state’s constitution is being violated. — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026 At one point, Fred was swindled out of upward of $15,000 when someone pretended to be the owner of a house for sale that Fred wanted to buy. — Megan Rose, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026 Holdo swindled 32 victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars for Rolex watches that never existed, authorities said. — City News Service, Oc Register, 2 Sep. 2026 Other gamblers just don’t want to get swindled, so anything that smacks too clearly of insider trading can get you in trouble. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 While the men whom Chen allegedly swindled began to grow suspicious of her actions around 2024, the Clark County Marriage Bureau reported her to the police, resulting in the launch of an investigation around the same time. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026 Aller swindled deal after deal on 2022 draft night, garnering future draft picks and getting off enough salary to sign Brunson and more. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 26 May 2026 After over a decade of partnership, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is suing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for more than $130 billion, alleging that Altman and OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman swindled him and betrayed the company’s founding charitable mission. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026 Holder was one of thousands of Americans swindled out of a total estimated at $20 billion by way of cyber theft in 2025, according to the FBI. — Anna Schecter, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swindled
  1. cheated
  2. hustled
  3. plucked
  4. stung
  5. squeezed
  6. screwed
  7. defrauded
  8. stuck
Verb
  • But the idea that girls are being cheated is personal for some athletes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Miller—who is no stranger to extramarital tabloid scandals herself—has also mastered her getting-cheated-on performances.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheated
Verb
  • In Frankfurt, a gray city crumbling at the corners and still finding its footing after the war, though somehow doing its best to pretend all is well, Mann and Erika are greeted by the mayor and hustled off to a press conference.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The two firefighters, listening to their radios, hustled to the upstream bridge, prepared rope and watched the water.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of hustled
Verb
  • The Royals plucked manager Matt Quatraro from the Rays organization in 2022.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Orioles plucked Jared Banner from the Cubs to be their new general manager under Mike Elias.
    — Josh Tolentino, Baltimore Sun, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of plucked
Verb
  • The rich have been stung by a surprise 20% tax on their offshore wealth, much of it squirreled away in trusts in Hong Kong and Singapore, triggering a new rush for foreign passports.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • But Wednesday’s result stung, as the 25-point defeat is the second-most lopsided season-opening loss in Heat history.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of stung
Verb
  • Yet profits have still been squeezed as jet fuel prices surged roughly 90% since the US-Israeli war on Iran began in February, forcing several major carriers to cut earnings forecasts.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, free cash flow at another budget carrier, JetBlue Airways, remains severely squeezed by elevated jet fuel prices.
    — , CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeezed
Verb
  • Numerical markings on the bar show what its total width will be, if both grips are screwed to the same distance.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Some Cleveland Guardians fans got screwed by the rain in more ways than one on Friday night.
    — Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of screwed
Verb
  • Only Bernie Madoff, whose Ponzi scheme defrauded 40,000 investors, comes close in terms of attention.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The company’s founder has sued Kao, saying his stewardship defrauded Navatek of millions.
    — Molly Redden, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of defrauded
Verb
  • Raichlen’s career, in a way, is similar in that he’s never been stuck in the lane of writing about barbecuing only brisket and pork.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Other franchises have run into the same issues — looking at you, Star Wars — but Halo has been stuck in this purgatory for 15+ years, as Xbox leaders and strategy shifts come and go.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of stuck

Browse Nearby Words

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swindled
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Cite this Entry

“Swindled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swindled. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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