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
Kevin Collier, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Fake invoices, bilks ‘restricted funds’ Jackson and court records show Gatlin approved hundreds of invoices for services and items that were never provided to the Foundation.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
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
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
Fake invoices, bilks ‘restricted funds’ Jackson and court records show Gatlin approved hundreds of invoices for services and items that were never provided to the Foundation.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
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
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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
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This is like the cheat code for late-stage capitalism.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Focusing on everyday shapewear, Yummie hugs instead of squeezes like traditional shapewear that can be extremely tight and constrictive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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All movies need a 45-day exclusive theatrical window, because small and mid-budget movies that hit streaming sooner are getting squeezed.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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But my collection intentionally ignored the fraudulent exploits of billionaire heirs, tax dodgers and corporate magnates — defense contracts, government lobbying, bank accounts in Switzerland, shell companies in Panama, citizenship of Antigua and political asylum in London.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ten miles away, members of the Navy's SEAL Team Six plucked the missing weapons system officer from the mountainside.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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The United States pulled off a daring rescue of two aviators whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran, plucking the pilot from behind enemy lines before setting off a complicated extraction of the second service member who hid deep in the mountains as Tehran called for Iranians to help capture him.—
Seung Min Kim,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The dads and sons hustled to a nearby dirt patch.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Minnesota pulled even in the fourth when Byron Buxton hustled home on sacrifice fly by Josh Bell.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Anthropic leaks its code; Mercor stung by data breach.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
8 Apr. 2026
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Santos stung a volley from outside the box midway through the second half after juggling the ball with her knee, but Silkowitz dived to her right to push the ball wide of the post.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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He was sentenced in June 2022 to 48 months in prison for identity theft and defrauding a former client and ordered to pay Clifford $148,000 in restitution.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
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In a legal filing on Tuesday, Musk's lawyers laid out specific remedies their client is seeking if a judge and jury determine that Altman and OpenAI defrauded Musk, the world's richest person.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Semi-screwed There’s a world in which Colby was the most screwed over by the rock draw — because Dee and Emily are friends who already played together, and both were aligned with Cirie — but that world is one in which he was not injured and likely limping out of the game anyway.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Apr. 2026
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As if she’d been presented with a tidy, screw-like riddle from the Sphynx.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilk. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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