/ ˈswɪndl; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
[ vn ] swindle sb (out of sth) | swindle sth (out of sb) to cheat sb in order to get sth, especially money, from them :
They swindled him out of hundreds of dollars.
They swindled hundreds of dollars out of him.
► swind·ler / ˈswɪndlə(r); NAmE / noun
SYN conman
■ noun
[ usually sing. ] a situation in which sb uses dishonest or illegal methods in order to get money from a company, another person, etc.
SYN con :
an insurance swindle
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WORD ORIGIN
late 18th cent.: back-formation from swindler , from German Schwindler extravagant maker of schemes, swindler, from schwindeln be giddy, also tell lies .