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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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
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Recent Examples of bilk
ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
The findings dovetail with a spate of romance scammers on social media, particularly Telegram, promoting HELOC fraud as an effective new way to bilk victims out of even more money.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Dianne Gallagher, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, California continued blowing money on a high-speed rail project that is years behind schedule and billions over budget, was bilked for billions in fraud, and funded an anti-homelessness bureaucracy with no accountability, among other things.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bilk
Noun
Federal prosecutors say Davis would go on to don disguises — a wig once, and a do-rag-style head covering another time — again in March and July to impersonate two other NFL players on video calls and bilk millions more in loans.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
The findings dovetail with a spate of romance scammers on social media, particularly Telegram, promoting HELOC fraud as an effective new way to bilk victims out of even more money.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
Murdaugh later pleaded guilty to dozens of federal and state charges for financial crimes related to a yearslong, wide-ranging scheme to bilk his law firm, clients and the government out of about $9 million.
—Dianne Gallagher, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, California continued blowing money on a high-speed rail project that is years behind schedule and billions over budget, was bilked for billions in fraud, and funded an anti-homelessness bureaucracy with no accountability, among other things.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bilk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilk
Noun
-
The cheat gets his comeuppance.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Topbag Travel Duffel Bag Bags like this one are my carry-on-only cheat code for extra storage.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When picking your own, avoid squeezing the berries.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
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That’s way too much time to squeeze into a mere 140 minutes.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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Almost all other passengers dine at the Britannia Restaurant, and there’s also a buffet restaurant serving international cuisine, with options for vegans, vegetarians and dairy dodgers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Orion capsule will be returned to NASA's Kennedy Space Center for additional study following the mission — but before it was plucked from the ocean, the divers managed to capture images of the capsule and its heat shield underwater.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Vikings also plucked Ryan Van Demark as a restricted free agent from the Buffalo Bills.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The president was uninjured and was hustled away.—
Collin Binkley,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
All of them were hustled out of sight.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This scene stings with recognition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Captain Ethan Ampadu is one of the survivors of that stinging 2024 play-off final defeat.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the prosecutors’ overarching theory of a grand scheme to defraud the Holy See was thrown out.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
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In total, Johnson defrauded the government of $300,000, Frankin of $100,000 and Wilson of $40,000, documents allege.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mechanics across the continent screwed, hammered and welded Sheila to keep her together, sometimes shaking their heads at the madness of it all.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Without brothers, father, I would be screwed.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilk. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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