Vocabulary in context
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Bilk
To cheat or defraud someone; to obtain money or goods by deceit or trickery.
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Imagine This
Picture a street vendor selling what he claims is milk. The carton looks official, but the product is fake and overpriced. He pressures you to buy, but you realize you’re being bilked by a deceitful seller.
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Sounds Like
milk
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Looks Like
milk
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Remember This
Bilk is a formal-sounding verb meaning to swindle; common in business or legal contexts. The core idea is deception for financial gain.
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Other Forms
bilkedverb (past tense)
bilkingverb (present participle)
bilksverb (third-person singular)
bilkernoun
bilkingnoun
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Connect With
cheat, defraud, swindle, fleece, scam, fraud
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Note
Avoid confusing bilk with bulk. Bilk refers to cheating, not quantity. The word often appears in phrases like bilk someone out of their money.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The contractor tried to bilk the elderly couple by charging for work never performed.
- The company was accused of bilking customers with hidden fees.
Synonyms
defraudswindlecheatfleececon
Antonyms
honestlegitimatefair dealing
Etymology
Origin uncertain; earliest known uses in English date from the 17th to 18th centuries. The word's roots are not clearly established, with various theories suggesting influences from dialects or other languages, but no definite consensus.
Mnemonic
BILK = BILL + LIE: a cheat both bills you and lies to you; remember that bilk means to defraud.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abandon
verbTo give up completely, to desert or leave behind, or to relinquish a claim, plan, or responsibility.
Abate
verbTo decrease in amount or intensity; to reduce or end something.
Abolish
verbTo formally end or repeal a system, practice, or institution; to officially put an end to something established.
Abridge
verbTo shorten (a text, speech, or other work) by omitting parts; to condense.
Abscond
verbTo depart secretly or flee, especially to avoid detection or arrest.
Absolve
verbTo free someone from blame or responsibility; to pardon or exonerate.
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