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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Recent Examples of bilking
He's been known in recent months for leading a series of fraud prosecutions that ensnared over 90 defendants accused of bilking Minnesota's public assistance programs.
—
Joe Walsh, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Yassin and Stevens are the first drivers to face any criminal repercussions for allegedly bilking the program.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
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
Joe Walsh, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Yassin and Stevens are the first drivers to face any criminal repercussions for allegedly bilking the program.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilking
Verb
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Fred, their oldest surviving child, was suspended from Princeton for cheating, then caught embezzling from his Seattle employer to feed, Church suspected, a gambling habit.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Court documents state the Matthews were there to get the children after a fight between Ashley and Pouncey over cheating.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Verb
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From truckers to commuters, gasoline prices are squeezing budgets across the country.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The university is scheduled to replace the turf in July, squeezing into a tight window of summer events.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Over the past few years, Google has been hustling to reinvent its business for the AI age, trying to keep consumers in the habit of going to its search page as chatbots from startups such as OpenAI and Anthropic become more popular.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2026
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An agent is seen grabbing Vance by his jacket and hustling him off stage.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For some, working with soil evokes nostalgia for childhood summers, smelling thorny roses in bloom and plucking ripe tomatoes off the vine.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
20 Apr. 2026
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Brawley hires football coach After a months-long search, Brawley High School has hired a football coach, plucking Rick Stewart away from Calipatria.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Captain Ethan Ampadu is one of the survivors of that stinging 2024 play-off final defeat.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Trump was the butt of several stinging jokes made by both President Barack Obama and comedian Seth Meyers.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Finally, the professional will install hangers to reinforce your gutters before screwing the mesh guard on top.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
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Remove the shower head by screwing it off counterclockwise.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bankowski and Bankowska both face up to 20 years in prison for defrauding buyers out of at least $2 million.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
29 Apr. 2026
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Two New Jersey residents pleaded guilty to running a years-long counterfeit art scheme that funneled fake works into the legitimate market, defrauding buyers of at least $2 million.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The sun was beating down on me.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The Wild’s penalty-killers pounced, starting a rush the other way that ended with Marcus Foligno beating Scott Wedgewood for a 5-4 Wild lead — Minnesota’s third straight goal and its third of the period.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bilking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilking. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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