swindler

UK: /ˈswɪndlə^r/

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

swin•dle /ˈswɪndəl/   v., -dled, -dling, n. 
v. [~ + object (+ out of + object)]

1. to cheat (someone) out of money or other valuable things:
   They swindled us (out of thousands of dollars).
2. to obtain by cheating or dishonest practices:
   He swindled enough money (out of us) to fly to South America.

n. [countable]

3. the act of swindling;
   a scheme involving swindling.
4. anything that involves cheating.

swin•dler, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

swin•dle  (swin′dl), v., -dled, -dling, n. 
v.t. 

1. to cheat (a person, business, etc.) out of money or other assets.
2. to obtain by fraud or deceit.

v.i. 

3. to put forward plausible schemes or use unscrupulous trickery to defraud others;
   cheat.

n. 

4. an act of swindling or a fraudulent transaction or scheme.
5. anything deceptive;
   a fraud:
   This advertisement is a real swindle.

• German Schwindler irresponsible person, promoter of wildcat schemes, cheat, derivative of schwindeln to be dizzy (hence dizzy-minded, irresponsible), defraud, equivalent. to schwind- (akin to Old English swindan to languish) + -(e)l- -le + -er -er¹
• back formation from swindler 1775–85

swin′dle•a•ble, adj. 
swin′dler, n. 
swin′dling•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. cozen, dupe, trick, gull.