bilk 1 of 2

noun

Definition of bilknext
as in cheat
a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value people who lost money in the scheme discovered that the investment company was a fake and the "owner" just a bilk

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bilk

2 of 2

verb

ˈbilk How to pronounce bilk (audio)
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats an investigation revealed that the garage had been bilking motorists for repairs that had never been made

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 bilk
Verb
Sophisticated online fraud schemes, operating from industrial-scale scam centers in Southeast Asia, are bilking Americans out of billions of dollars each year. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2026 Federal prosecutors allege Eidleh was the mastermind who bilked taxpayers out of $250 million by exploiting federal child nutrition programs meant to feed vulnerable children. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2026 The Justice Department said that the disgraced former executive bilked the museum out of the money by altering invoices and approving transactions for personal purchases. — News Desk, Artforum, 14 July 2026 Lawmakers have griped for decades that defense contractors have bilked the federal government on lucrative projects that run over budget and over schedule. — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bilk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilk
  1. cheat
  2. squeeze
  3. dodger
  4. pluck
  5. hustle
  6. sting
  7. defraud
  8. screw
Noun
  • Nvidia brings a lot of gaming clout to the table, and game companies are already signing up to offer native anti-cheat and in-game support on Arm as a result.
    — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Democrats passed significant funding for the IRS to go after wealthy tax cheats, which was repealed by Republicans.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheat
Verb
  • But in recent years, the shows have become money losers and the network TV business — faced with a decline in viewers that is squeezing profits — are cutting them loose.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • However, rising costs for housing, food, fuel and insurance coupled with cooling employment rends and the lowest consumer sentiment in a decade is squeezing discretionary spending.
    — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Noun
  • The White House is now cracking down on these tariff dodgers.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine faces severe personnel shortages with around 200,000 military desertions and 2 million draft-dodgers, threatening its ability to sustain the war against Russia’s 2022 invasion.
    — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of dodger
Verb
  • As the party winded down, guests plucked final bites off silver platters and marveled at how tall Skarsgård truly is in person—his nearly six-foot-five frame barely fit under the bar’s low ceilings.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Starring alongside Amell is a slew of objectively hot influencers and models plucked straight off the TikTok FYP, including Noah Beck, Olivia Dunne, and Brooks Nader.
    — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • After hustling in the industry for the better part of a decade, her profile has completely exploded over the past few months.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But the bad news was he got thrown out trying to hustle into second.
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of hustle
Verb
  • All of a sudden, Bass was a staggering champion lunging at a revived Raman, who swung and stung and ducked the way only a hungry up-and-comer can.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Clement famously tried to get the Supreme Court to overturn President Obama's signature health care law, a loss that still stings.
    — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sting
Verb
  • The small group documented Holmes in the month leading up to her 11-year prison sentence for wire fraud and defrauding investors in her tech start-up Theranos.
    — Jackson Murphy, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Daejon Love, the Sacramento County man accused of posing as a San Francisco 49ers player and wealthy real estate investor to defraud victims, has been formally indicted on a federal wire fraud conspiracy charge, officials said Wednesday.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of defraud
Verb
  • One man records himself using the claws to screw bottle lids off and on.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike MacKay’s Ferrars, seemingly the more loyal and irreproachable type, both men end up screwing over the Dashwoods in their own ways.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of screw

Browse Nearby Words

biliousness
bilk
bilked
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Cite this Entry

“Bilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilk. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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