What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
cheat
Example
He cheated on the test by looking at his neighbor's paper. [cheated: past tense]
Example
She felt cheated when she found out he had been lying to her. [cheated: verb]
swindle
Example
The con artist swindled innocent people out of their life savings. [swindled: past tense]
Example
He was swindled by a fake investment opportunity and lost all his money. [swindled: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Cheat is more commonly used than swindle in everyday language. Cheat is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while swindle is less common and typically used in more specific situations involving fraudulent schemes or scams.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between cheat and swindle?
While cheat is generally associated with a casual and informal tone, swindle is more formal and specific, often used in legal or financial contexts.
