Bilk
To cheat or defraud someone; to obtain money or goods by deceit or trickery.
verbBilk
To cheat or defraud someone; to obtain money or goods by deceit or trickery.
verbImagine 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.
Sounds Like
milk
Looks Like
milk
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.
Other Forms
Connect With
cheat, defraud, swindle, fleece, scam, fraud
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.
Study Deeper
- The contractor tried to bilk the elderly couple by charging for work never performed.
- The company was accused of bilking customers with hidden fees.
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.
BILK = BILL + LIE: a cheat both bills you and lies to you; remember that bilk means to defraud.
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