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
Relevance
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
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
Richard Hall,
Time,
28 Apr. 2026
Twenty-one people are facing charges as part of a massive hospice fraud scheme that prosecutors say bilked California’s medical system out of $267 million.
—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 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
Not so much the political stuff, but sort of just the hacky supplements and trying to bilk your grandparents out of their life savings kind of style.
—
Richard Hall,
Time,
28 Apr. 2026
Twenty-one people are facing charges as part of a massive hospice fraud scheme that prosecutors say bilked California’s medical system out of $267 million.
—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bilk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilk
Noun
-
And then Bobby is just a cheat code for comedy writers.
-
More flaglantry detrimental to learning, plenty more use the tech to generate entire essays and solve math problems — or, in a word, cheat.
Verb
-
As artificial intelligence transforms the job market and rising living costs squeeze family budgets, the University of California system is making the case that its degrees remain valuable investments.
-
Breweries may not have the budget or staff to create art and with rising costs squeezing small businesses, many breweries started to feature obvious generative AI art prominently as a way to talk about events or create content.
Noun
-
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.
-
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.
Verb
-
It’s meant to be as is her ability to pluck him from the clouds and pin him to the table with her directness.
-
But when they’re plucked from the garden and washed, some of the wax washes away.
Verb
-
Langford was injured during Friday’s game after hustling on a double.
-
Shehadeh, a son of Palestinian immigrants, learned to hustle from his hard-working but largely absent father.
Verb
-
Home Depot and rival Lowe’s must also confront a weak housing market, which has been stung by stubbornly high interest rates and rising building material expenses.
-
Christie Ray/Queen Bee Supply via AP A photojournalist from CBS affiliate KDFM also captured video despite being stung , the station reported.
Verb
-
According to court records, between July 2024 and August 2025, the brothers and unnamed co-conspirators orchestrated an identity theft ring that defrauded SNAP programs in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other states.
-
The charge alleges a person knowingly defrauded another by using false or misleading information to obtain money, property, credit or a loan.
Verb
-
The breeze was screwing with the sound system, and the temperature dropped abruptly.
-
Either Cody or Gunther wins because Sami gets screwed; Zayn will then further descend into madness and attack someone after the bell.
Cite this Entry
“Bilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilk. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
