bilked

past tense of bilk

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 bilked Jason Cloth, a film producer with dozens of credits including Joker, Longlegs and Babylon, is facing numerous federal fraud charges and decades in prison in connection with a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors of more than $100 million. Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 29 July 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 Multiple scams over the course of three days bilked Washington state residents out of more than $670,000, according to a Facebook post from the local sheriff’s office. Drew Pittock, USA Today, 5 July 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 In total, prosecutors say the fraud scheme bilked the program out of more than $250 million. Wcco Staff, CBS News, 19 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilked
Verb
  • The Times has interviewed more than a dozen clients and investors who said they were cheated by Holdo.
    Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The rest of us just got the surface, but who could feel cheated?
    Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Other items were plucked from antique stores and flea markets around the globe.
    Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Antonelli started 19th and plucked his way through the crowd, finally catching up to Russell and battling with him for the victory.
    Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • His play-by-play recall might mention the runner who hustled to beat out a double play or the pitchers who kept it close in the later innings.
    Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Facing questions about a totally different set of Piker comments, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hustled into an elevator.
    Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Two years is a long time in the NFL, yet that wild-card loss to the Philadelphia Eagles still stung in the building.
    Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • And the harsh reviews from her fellow breakers weren’t even what stung Gunn the most.
    Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Add in Braxton Berrios, the Giants’ punt returner and backup slot receiver, and that squeezed Slayton out.
    Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Independent designers, once a discovery engine, were being squeezed, while the biggest brands put more investment into their own stores, creating a dichotomy in experiences that Bron felt was palpable.
    Hilary Milnes, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In all, prosecutors said more than 40 victims were defrauded of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
    Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Two men, one of whom posed as a player for the San Francisco 49ers, have been arrested and charged in a scheme that allegedly defrauded more than two dozen women out of more than $1 million, federal authorities said.
    Tim Fang, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • My husband recently screwed over his business partner by taking significantly more of the profit for himself.
    Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The hardest physical part was actually taking down the old blinds, which had been screwed tightly into the window frame years prior.
    Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • At one point, Fred was swindled out of upward of $15,000 when someone pretended to be the owner of a house for sale that Fred wanted to buy.
    Megan Rose, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Other gamblers just don’t want to get swindled, so anything that smacks too clearly of insider trading can get you in trouble.
    Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bilked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilked. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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