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
N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
Former Jackson Health Foundation COO Charmaine Gatlin pled guilty to bilking millions in charity funds.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
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
In one scheme, prosecutors say dozens of scammers bilked more than $250 million from a federal program meant to feed hungry children in what has been described as the largest pandemic-era fraud scheme in the country.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
Former Jackson Health Foundation COO Charmaine Gatlin pled guilty to bilking millions in charity funds.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bilk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilk
Noun
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Walmart's Deals of the Day are like a cheat code to get epic gaming tech at great discounts.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
17 Mar. 2026
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And there’s a cheat code in the sister character.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The three of us squeezed into our bedroom closet and huddled over my phone.—
Amanda Peet,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
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Oil prices would continue to soar, while fertilizer, generic drugs, helium and other products dependent on the strait would grow scarce, squeezing the American economy and world economy alike.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 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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Oreade, the fine dining restaurant, is where Chef Riccardo Bacciottini unleashes his creativity and technical prowess, using local ingredients (many plucked right from the hotel’s gardens) to make sublime dishes like tomato tartare with basil and miso or artichokes confited with pepper sauce.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
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There’s something slightly shady about this time of year, too, where mid-major talent gets showcased so that the players can get plucked out of school by the major conferences.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Braves players worked on hustling first to third on a soft single to the outfield, or breaking toward home on a dribbler in the infield.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
20 Mar. 2026
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Santa Clara quickly hustled down the floor, and Allen Graves drained a 3-pointer with just two seconds left to give them a 73-70 lead.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These scandals stung at the time, but looking back, Cyrus wouldn’t have changed a thing.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
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All was going well when suddenly the scorpion stung the frog.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The anti-graft agency also arrested 23 people on suspicion of offenses such as bribery and conspiracy to defraud.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
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The anti-graft agency also arrested 23 people on suspicion of offenses such as bribery and conspiracy to defraud.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The result is that many contestants are frequent collaborators and have long histories with one another, adding extra juice to their attempts to screw each other over.—
Claire McNear,
Rolling Stone,
18 Mar. 2026
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Another big upgrade in terms of the Neo’s repairability compared to previous MacBooks, according to reviewers, is its screw-in battery.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilk. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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