as in exploiting
to take unfair advantage of
unscrupulous people trying to milk the welfare system for all it's worth
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Recent Examples of milking
Justin Trudeau’s eldest son, an aspiring musician, is milking his dad’s relationship with Katy Perry for his own art.
—
Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
And Ainesworth threw cold water on the notion that firefighters are milking the workers’ compensation system.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
In 1964, the company started milking cows in Moore Haven in Glades County.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Bribing officials, milking national economies, and cozying up to corrupt politicians and dictators have long been essential features of the enterprise.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Veyron production may have ended, but Bugatti is still milking the idea.
—New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2026
Four plays later, with just over two minutes left in the game, the Seahawks ran a pass play instead of just running the ball and milking the clock.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Cardozo added that all milking operations have ceased, and some beef and non-lactating dairy cattle are still grazing.
—Richard Halstead, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026
Netflix milking the hype around its biggest show in new, previously unannounced ways?
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2026
Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
And Ainesworth threw cold water on the notion that firefighters are milking the workers’ compensation system.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
In 1964, the company started milking cows in Moore Haven in Glades County.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Bribing officials, milking national economies, and cozying up to corrupt politicians and dictators have long been essential features of the enterprise.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Veyron production may have ended, but Bugatti is still milking the idea.
—New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2026
Four plays later, with just over two minutes left in the game, the Seahawks ran a pass play instead of just running the ball and milking the clock.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Cardozo added that all milking operations have ceased, and some beef and non-lactating dairy cattle are still grazing.
—Richard Halstead, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026
Netflix milking the hype around its biggest show in new, previously unannounced ways?
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for milking
Verb
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Bridges has happily accepted the schematic change, which consists of him exploiting mismatches, rebounding, and recognizing when to step up versus defer to teammates.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Apr. 2026
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Khalil Hathaleen, head of the village council and a member of the extended family that makes up much of Umm al-Khair’s population, said settlers were exploiting the war to seize land, cut down olive groves and raid nearby villages at night.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This interactive balance board connects to a free app where your body becomes the controller, using movement to play engaging games.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Mayor Karen Bass said officers will also expand their presence in the area by placing LAPD vehicles in high-visibility locations and using license plate readers in high-risk burglary areas.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Federal Trade Commission, 18 states and Puerto Rico have accused the company of abusing its market position to inflate prices on other online retail platforms, overcharge sellers and stifle competition.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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The foster parents and their adult daughter pleaded guilty to abusing children in their care.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This money could help address that by leveraging the money from this bond to build new affordable housing both for rent and purchase.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Apr. 2026
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The International Development Association’s (IDA) 21st funding round secured an additional $24 billion in late 2024, which resulted in $100 billion in financing after leveraging.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Clayton Seigle, a senior fellow in the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told ABC News that spoofing or manipulating the tracking system can obscure a vessel's origins, destination and cargo.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Of course, Butcher does a lot of blatant manipulating here, using Ryan’s insecurity about his deadly powers to convince him the world is better without supes altogether.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Milking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/milking. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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