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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An angler competing in a walleye derby on Saskatchewan’s Montreal Lake was kicked out of the ice-fishing tournament Saturday after being accused of cheating.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
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Last year, a dozen people were charged with using and selling a smog-check cheating device.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The videos have pulled back the curtain on ingredient shifts across some of the company’s most recognizable products — and a surging cocoa market that’s squeezing the entire candy industry.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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The Pios led 4-1 after a period and put the clamps down, methodically squeezing the clock and the Broncos’ hopes of a repeat title, a shift at a time.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Braves players worked on hustling first to third on a soft single to the outfield, or breaking toward home on a dribbler in the infield.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
20 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, McCutchen walked for the fourth straight game and beat out an infield single, hustling hard to first on a squibber down the third base line.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When not plucking away at a keyboard, Madison teaches yoga and mountain bikes with her two Australian shepherds, Cholla and Poppy, through Missoula's Rattlesnake Wilderness.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
28 Mar. 2026
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And don’t forget the era of over-plucking—ahem, from the currently trending ‘90s—which resulted in super-thin eyebrows that never really fully grew back.—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Alcohol can be stinging and drying to the skin.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Meta had the worst week in the group, dropping more than 11% after two stinging court defeats added to the social media company's challenges.—
Ari Levy,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To make a profit from their business, American companies sent their manufacturing facilities overseas, screwing American workers by incurring smaller labor costs, therefore profiting rich investors who never had to work for it and used their money to make more money off the American consumer.—
Jay Reddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
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All the setup required was screwing in the legs.—
Noah Kaufman,
Architectural Digest,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The LinkedIn post that McCormick allegedly responded to with an emoji touted a court verdict that could cost Musk upwards of $2 billion for defrauding Twitter investors.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
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Holmes qualified for the reduced term under a 2023 rule change allowing first-time offenders to do less time for some non-violent crimes, according to an order issued Thursday by the federal judge who sentenced her in 2022 for defrauding investors in her blood-testing startup.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After beating Atlanta last Friday without Jaylen Brown and Charlotte on Sunday without Brown and Derrick White, Boston flopped in a rematch with the Hawks, losing 112-102 without a crew of contributors headlined by a resting Jayson Tatum.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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Lawson’s Blue Devils relished their March Madness at the downtown arena on Friday night, a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in the corner by Ashlon Jackson to stun storied LSU in a Sweet 16 contest.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bilking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilking. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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