swindle

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“
If you look up a grift in the dictionary, its defined as a swindle - a confidence game.

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Definitions (11)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. transitive verb To cheat or defraud of money or property.
  2. transitive verb To obtain by fraudulent means: swindled money from the company.
  3. intransitive verb To practice fraud as a means of obtaining money or property.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

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Examples (50)

  • If you look up a grift in the dictionary, its defined as a swindle - a confidence game. —  The Latest on Air America
  • Also knowing that the largest benefactors of this swindle was and is Brigham Young University.
  • Mr. Frickie Eloff is President Kruger's son-in-law and enjoys the unsavoury reputation of being interested in every swindle which is worth being in the Transvaal. —  The Transvaal from Within A Private Record of Public Affairs
  • They frolic in the wine cellar Richly: Some kind of swindle is afoot, I'm sure of it Squire: They say the master of this house has just returned from a long sea voyage--would you be he by any chance Richly: Yes, sir, I am he Squire: I congratulate you, sir. —  Unforseen Return
  • The Ravenswing, that is her fantastical theatrical name (her real name is the same with that of a notorious scoundrel in the Fleet, who invented the Panama swindle, the Pontine Marshes' swindle, the Soap swindle--HOW ARE YOU OFF FOR SOAP NOW, Mr. —  Men's Wives
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This word has been looked up 113 times.

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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

hoax ·  quackery ·  scam ·  forgery ·  trickery ·  humbug ·  deception ·  bounder ·  stratagem ·  cad ·  staggerer ·  imposition

Used in the same contextWord Family

swindle:   swindling ·  swindled
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Back-formation from swindler, one who swindles, from German Schwindler, giddy person, cheat, from schwindeln, to be dizzy, swindle, from Middle High German, from Old High German swintilōn, frequentative of swintan, to disappear.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. A back-formation from swindler, taken as ‘cheater,’ from swindle, v., cheat, + -er; but the noun precedes the verb in English
  2. from swindle, v.
 

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/ˈswɪndl/
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