What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
hornswoggle
Example
He managed to hornswoggle his friends into believing he had won the lottery. [hornswoggle: verb]
Example
The con artist hornswoggled the elderly couple out of their life savings. [hornswoggled: past tense]
bamboozle
Example
The magician was able to bamboozle the audience with his sleight of hand. [bamboozle: verb]
Example
The salesman bamboozled the customer into buying a faulty product. [bamboozled: past tense]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Bamboozle is more commonly used than hornswoggle in everyday language. Bamboozle is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while hornswoggle is less common and may be considered outdated or old-fashioned in some contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between hornswoggle and bamboozle?
Both hornswoggle and bamboozle are informal terms and are not typically used in formal or academic contexts.
