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
Elsaid is accused of bilking the medical assistance program out of over $182,000, while Agwa is accused of swindling over $94,000 from the program.
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Riley Moser,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
In 2019, a couple was charged with embezzlement and exploiting the elderly for bilking buyers in six Western North Carolina counties out of millions of dollars for log homes.
—
Amber Gaudet,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
Murdaugh, 57, will remain in prison, however, after being sentenced on dozens of state and federal charges for bilking millions from his former law firm and clients for more than a decade.
—
Pilar Melendez,
NBC news,
14 May 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.
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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
Riley Moser,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
In 2019, a couple was charged with embezzlement and exploiting the elderly for bilking buyers in six Western North Carolina counties out of millions of dollars for log homes.
—
Amber Gaudet,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
Murdaugh, 57, will remain in prison, however, after being sentenced on dozens of state and federal charges for bilking millions from his former law firm and clients for more than a decade.
—
Pilar Melendez,
NBC news,
14 May 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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And using what looks like a giant pile of gerbil food for half-day cooking projects just feels like cheating.
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The chapters moved from crime rates to cheating teachers to drug dealers living with their mothers, linking unlikely variables with a kind of intellectual mischief that felt almost illicit.
Verb
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Of course, attempts to get more revenue out of taxpayers would carry political risks, but voters have been open to squeezing the wealthy.
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Coach Spencer Carbery has done a masterful job of both squeezing what’s left out of the franchise’s best-ever player — Ovechkin led the Caps in both goals (32) and points (64) in 2025-26 — while simultaneously masking the deficiencies that come with age.
Verb
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Langford was injured during Friday’s game after hustling on a double.
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Letting go of the idea that success requires hustling at all costs — and replacing it with goals that feel attainable — can help founders shift toward a more sustainable approach, one where progress doesn't come at the cost of their well-being.
Verb
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As with the studio version, the track began with Lifeson plucking out a delicate intro on a nylon-string guitar before blasting into monster electric riffs.
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Vogue’s beauty shopping editor Kiana Murden became a devotee after plucking it from the beauty closet and using it religiously.
Verb
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Significant stinging insect infestations like wasps and carpenter bees may also require a specialized plan that isn’t included in your general pest control service.
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These stinging insects are black with yellow or white bands and are bigger than bees and yellow jackets.
Verb
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The breeze was screwing with the sound system, and the temperature dropped abruptly.
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America’s favorite sport is not football, or soccer, but screwing over sports fans, which is why FIFA should hold its World Cup in the United States permanently.
Verb
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Guo, who also goes by Miles Guo and Ho Wan Kwok, was convicted of defrauding thousands of his supporters in July 2024.
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Filmmaker Carl Erik Rinsch was sentenced on Monday to 30 months in prison after being convicted of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million.
Verb
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El Tri won its first knockout match at a World Cup since 1986, beating Ecuador 2-0 on Tuesday night at the majestic Azteca Stadium packed with 80,824 fans.
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In May, just weeks before the ruling, the athlete won the West Virginia Class AAA girls’ shot put state championship with a throw of 38 feet, 11¾ inches, beating the runner-up by just over two feet.
Cite this Entry
“Bilking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilking. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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