hornswoggle Definition
- 1to deceive or cheat someone
- 2to bamboozle or hoax someone
Using hornswoggle: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "hornswoggle" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
He hornswoggled me into buying that old car.
Example
Don't let him hornswoggle you into signing that contract.
Example
The salesman tried to hornswoggle the customer into paying more than the product was worth.
hornswoggle Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with hornswoggle
to obtain something from someone by deception or trickery
Example
He hornswoggled the old man out of his life savings.
to waste time or procrastinate
Example
Stop hornswoggling around and get to work!
hornswoggle up
to create or fabricate something through deception or trickery
Example
He hornswoggled up a story to explain his absence.
Origins of hornswoggle
originated in the US in the early 19th century, possibly from the words 'horn' and 'swaggle', meaning to move or sway with a horn-like motion
Summary: hornswoggle in Brief
'Hornswoggle' [hawrn-swog-uhl] is a verb that means to deceive or cheat someone, often through trickery or deception. It originated in the US in the early 19th century and is commonly used in informal contexts. Examples include 'He hornswoggled me into buying that old car' and 'Don't let him hornswoggle you into signing that contract.' Phrases like 'hornswoggle out of' and 'hornswoggle up' extend the meaning to obtaining something through deception or creating something through trickery.
