Word
swindle
Phoneticsswin·dle, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈswɪndəɫ/
UK/swˈɪndəl/
Definition
v. to trick someone to get their money or property. You lie or cheat to make them give you something that is theirs.
v. to obtain money or property by fraud or deception, typically through a deliberate trick or false claim. Often followed by 'out of' to mark the victim and the loss.
Examples
“He tries to swindle old people out of money.”
“The contractor tried to swindle the couple by charging for work he never finished.”
“She realized the investment advisor had swindled her savings through forged documents and false promises of high returns.”
Examples
simple
“He tries to swindle old people out of money.”
contextual
“The contractor tried to swindle the couple by charging for work he never finished.”
complex
“She realized the investment advisor had swindled her savings through forged documents and false promises of high returns.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “swindle” in context.
Verb
01. attempt to swindle
“He attempted to swindle the insurer with a staged car accident.”
verb + to + verb
02. conspire to swindle
“Two clerks conspired to swindle the council out of public funds.”
verb + to + verb
03. swindle investor
“The broker swindled a naive investor with promises of high returns.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. deliberately swindle
“He deliberately swindled retired teachers with fake investment plans.”
adv + verb
05. fraudulently swindle
“She fraudulently swindled her employer with false expense claims.”
adv + verb
Noun
06. swindle fortune
“She swindled a fortune from clients using a Ponzi scheme.”
verb + noun
07. swindle inheritance
“He swindled his sister's inheritance with forged legal documents.”
verb + noun
08. swindle money
“He swindled money from friends by inventing a medical emergency.”
verb + noun
09. be swindled out of savings
“Thousands of pensioners were swindled out of their savings last year.”
10. conspire to swindle elderly victims
“The gang conspired to swindle elderly victims through fake charity calls.”
11. fraudulently swindle a pensioner
“He fraudulently swindled a pensioner by posing as a bank official.”
12. swindle investors out of millions
“The fund manager swindled investors out of millions in a Ponzi scheme.”
Usage
The verb is transitive; commonly followed by 'out of' ('swindle someone out of money').
Real-World Examples
“Fraudsters offering fake prizes and job opportunities swindled tens of thousands of U.S. consumers, giving Western Union agents a cut in return for processing the payments, authorities said.” Etymology
Back-formation from swindler, from German Schwindler, from German schwindeln, from Middle High German swindeln, swindelen, from Old High German swintilōn, frequentative of the verb swintan, from Proto-West Germanic *swindan (“to diminish”). See also Modern German schwindeln, Danish svindel and svindle, Dutch zwindelen and zwendelen, Yiddish שווינדל (shvindl), Low German swinneln, Middle English swinden (“to languish, waste away”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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