Definition

1. Noun:

   • A swindle or confidence trick: A dishonest scheme or fraud, often involving cheating at gambling or persuading someone to buy worthless property.

2. Verb:

   • To swindle or defraud: To deprive someone of money or property through deceit or trickery.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The police uncovered a sophisticated bunco operation targeting elderly investors.
  • He lost his savings in a classic bunco involving fake gemstones.

• Verb:

  • The con artist tried to bunco tourists by selling them fake tickets.
  • They were buncoed out of thousands of dollars by a smooth-talking salesman.

Advanced Usage

• "To run a bunco": To operate a fraudulent scheme.

  • The gang was arrested for running a bunco across three states.

• "Bunco squad": A police unit specializing in fraud and confidence crimes.

  • The case was handed over to the bunco squad for investigation.

Variants and Related Words

• Bunco game (n): A specific instance or type of swindle.

  • The "pigeon drop" is a common bunco game.

• Bunco artist (n): A person who perpetrates frauds; a con artist.

  • The so-called psychic was revealed to be a bunco artist.

Synonyms

• Swindle (n/v): A fraudulent scheme or the act of perpetrating one.
• Con (n/v, informal): Short for "confidence trick"; to deceive.
• Scam (n/v): A dishonest scheme; to cheat.
• Fraud (n): Wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
• Hustle (n/v, informal): A fraud or swindle; to obtain by deceit.

Related Phrasal Verbs / Compound Verbs

(Note: "Bunco" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its usage is typically as a simple transitive verb.)

Related Idioms

• "To bunco someone out of something": To cheat someone out of a possession.
  • He buncoed his partners out of their share of the profits.

Noun

1. a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property

Verb

1. deprive of by deceit
   • He swindled me out of my inheritance
   • She defrauded the customers who trusted her
   • the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change