as in cheating
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bilking
Former Jackson Health Foundation COO Charmaine Gatlin pled guilty to bilking millions in charity funds.
—
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
Holmes was convicted in 2022 of four counts of felony fraud for bilking investors in her now-defunct Palo Alto blood-testing startup out of hundreds of millions of dollars via false claims about the technology.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
After investigating, the agency arrested eight people for rigging the game by controlling the distribution of the high prize pieces into circulation, bilking more than $20 million from the fast food chain.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
Holmes was convicted in 2022 of four counts of felony fraud for bilking investors in her now-defunct Palo Alto blood-testing startup out of hundreds of millions of dollars via false claims about the technology.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
After investigating, the agency arrested eight people for rigging the game by controlling the distribution of the high prize pieces into circulation, bilking more than $20 million from the fast food chain.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilking
Verb
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There was a time in sports — and in life — when the worst thing you could be accused of was cheating.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
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Medal reallocations have historically surfaced after doping or other cheating cases, but Chiles’ dispute centered on an apparent error by the International Gymnastics Federation, the sport’s governing body.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fresh spinach requires large quantities and multiple steps—blanching, shocking, and squeezing—just to yield a usable amount.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
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The bus ended up completely packed, everyone squeezing together in their parkas like a bunch of marshmallows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If out of work, hustling this week and next could open doors.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
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Students were hustling around campus, coming and going on the penultimate Saturday of the semester.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Or plucking Tater Tots straight off the baking sheet and then wiping your hands on your pants.—
Alyssa Brandt,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Caitlin Looby Last August, Lauren Isbell dove around Mott Island Dock at Isle Royale National Park, plucking invasive zebra mussels from the lakebed – sometimes with her fingers, other times with a credit-card sized piece of plastic attached to a lanyard on her wrist.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nedeljkovic could be back in net Saturday afternoon when the Sharks (27-21-4) play the Calgary Flames (21-26-6), hoping to bounce back from a stinging 4-3 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
30 Jan. 2026
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Luhmann, who traveled from Illinois to Minnesota to document the immigration enforcement surge, said his hands were stinging from the different smoke bombs and pepper sprays deployed that day.—
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cattano suggests screwing mug hooks into the bottom of kitchen cabinets to utilize that space between the cupboards and the countertops.—
Bridget Reed Morawski,
Architectural Digest,
7 Jan. 2026
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That’s because the president doesn’t care about screwing people.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 2022, a New York attorney, doctor, and lawsuit financier were convicted of recruiting hundreds of plaintiffs and defrauding insurers and businesses of more than $31 million.—
Elizabeth Heck,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
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Both men are facing up to 20 years in prison on the charges first-degree health insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit first-degree health insurance fraud, first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Point Loma Nazarene’s women’s basketball team improved to 14-4 and climbed back on top of the PacWest Conference standings with a 10-2 mark after beating Azusa Pacific (80-55) and contender Vanguard (59-57) last week.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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In the final, Black & Alshon threw down the gauntlet, beating the top pair in three straight for gold.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bilking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilking. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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