What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
fleece
Example
The sheep's fleece was thick and warm. [fleece: noun]
Example
The salesman tried to fleece me by charging double the price for a simple repair. [fleece: verb]
swindle
Example
The con artist swindled the elderly couple out of their life savings. [swindled: past tense verb]
Example
The Ponzi scheme was a massive swindle that affected thousands of investors. [swindle: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Swindle is less common than fleece in everyday language, but both words are used in legal contexts to describe criminal activity.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between fleece and swindle?
Both fleece and swindle are considered formal words and may not be commonly used in casual conversation. However, swindle may be considered more formal due to its association with legal terminology and criminal activity.
