as in cheated
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
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Recent Examples of bilked
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
Authorities arrested eight people accused of conducting a series of health care fraud schemes that bilked tens of millions of dollars from Medicare and other insurance companies across Southern California, prosecutors announced April 2.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 3 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
We, too, are horrified by the betrayal of America’s social safety-net systems perpetrated by dozens of individuals in Minnesota who bilked at least $1 billion from taxpayers for non-existent services and clients.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors say criminals also bilked millions of dollars from Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services program — which pays for help finding and keeping housing — as well as the state’s autism-services program by billing for appointments, therapy and casework that never took place.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025
Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Authorities arrested eight people accused of conducting a series of health care fraud schemes that bilked tens of millions of dollars from Medicare and other insurance companies across Southern California, prosecutors announced April 2.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 3 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
We, too, are horrified by the betrayal of America’s social safety-net systems perpetrated by dozens of individuals in Minnesota who bilked at least $1 billion from taxpayers for non-existent services and clients.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors say criminals also bilked millions of dollars from Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services program — which pays for help finding and keeping housing — as well as the state’s autism-services program by billing for appointments, therapy and casework that never took place.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilked
Verb
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Even at Princeton, obviously, some students have always cheated.—
Rose Horowitch,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
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To the curry-sphere and beyond Iyer cheated a touch with the book’s title because some chapters exist outside of the sauce world.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Verb
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There’s no trace of anything strummed or plucked; clusters of tone simply materialize out of thin air, as capricious as weather.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
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He’s plucked employees from companies like Uber, Google, and Facebook to professionalize the place.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Dominguez hustled back to the wall and made a spectacular catch, but crashed incredibly hard into the wall.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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Caminero led off with a walk, then hustled to third when Aranda followed with a single.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Now owned by the National Gallery in London, the painting, showing Roman god Cupid complaining to his mother Venus about being stung by bees, can be seen in the center of a blurry, black-and-white photograph dating to the 1940s that was published in a 1978 furniture catalog.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
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Teng stung in fourth The Astros deployed Kai-Wei Teng as an opener for the second time this season.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, American families are getting squeezed by high gas prices, unaffordable housing, soaring grocery bills and out-of-touch politicians who are more focused on woke ideology than on real solutions.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
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Geneva coach Brad Wendell knew that Kastor’s slow start last season squeezed him out of the lineup.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Verb
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But Brockman mostly maintained composure while explaining why his journals shouldn’t be viewed as a smoking gun proving that Musk was defrauded.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
5 May 2026
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Prosecutors say Goliath, based in Central Florida, defrauded investors of at least $328 million.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Verb
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If Miranda Priestly can get thrown in steerage, we’re all screwed.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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But that doesn’t mean working people aren’t getting screwed.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After over a decade of partnership, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is suing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for more than $130 billion, alleging that Altman and OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman swindled him and betrayed the company’s founding charitable mission.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
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Holder was one of thousands of Americans swindled out of a total estimated at $20 billion by way of cyber theft in 2025, according to the FBI.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bilked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilked. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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