embezzle

verb

Definition of embezzlenext
as in to steal
to steal money that you have been trusted with He was caught embezzling money from his clients.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of embezzle While an investigation determined that McCauley had embezzled at least $12 million, Cook believes the amount could be even higher. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 Before the jazz debacle, Ludlow was best known as a former City Council member who pleaded guilty in 2006 to federal charges of conspiring to embezzle union funds for campaign costs. — David K. Li, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026 Matthew Robinson was sued by his brother and a co-founder of the company, claiming $100,000 was embezzled over two years, according to a 2014 lawsuit. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026 But in the end, he was convicted of embezzling around $12 million and executed in 2009. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for embezzle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embezzle
  1. steal
  2. usurp
  3. misappropriate
Verb
  • Elsewhere, stoles stole the show, particular those draped languidly over the shoulder or fashioned as cummerbunds.
    — Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • On multiple occasions, law enforcement officers have used Flock footage to identify and ultimately arrest people accused of stealing from Ulta Beauty stores.
    — Kara McGrath, Allure, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of steal
Verb
  • Jason Speaking of football-loving families, the Kelces seem to have usurped the Mannings for the sport’s first family.
    — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
  • For the most part, California has declined to usurp local governments’ power to decide what is built where, which has yielded relentless development of wildlands.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of usurp
Verb
  • Three years later, in April 2018, he was accused of misappropriating over $400,000 in funds while working at the financial aid office as an undergraduate.
    — Owen Carry, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • That’s one reason there are so many arguments over the value of a team, or an athlete, or sports more generally, as more and more money chases something essentially priceless—or misappropriated, depending on your view.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of misappropriate

Browse Nearby Words

embellishments
embezzle
embezzled
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Embezzle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embezzle. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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