bilk

1 of 2

verb

bilked; bilking; bilks

transitive verb

1
: to block the free development of : frustrate
fate bilks their hopes
2
a
: to cheat out of something valuable : defraud
bilking investors out of their life savings
b
: to evade payment of or to
bilks his creditors
c
: to obtain (something) by defrauding someone
The Tampa couple sent out phony sonograms and bilked money from couples wanting children, authorities say.Brady Dennis
3
: to slip away from
bilked her pursuers
bilker noun

bilk

2 of 2

noun

: an untrustworthy tricky individual : cheat

Did you know?

Initially, bilking wasn't considered cheating—just good strategy for cribbage players. Language historians aren't sure where bilk originated, but they have noticed that its earliest uses occur in contexts relating to the game of cribbage. Part of the scoring in cribbage involves each player adding cards from their hand to a pile of discards called the "crib." At the end of a hand, the dealer gets any points in the crib. Strategically, then, it's wisest for the dealer's opponents to discard the cards most likely to "balk," or put a check on, the dealer's score (or in other words, the ones least likely to contribute to point-making combinations). Etymologists theorize that bilk may have originated as an alteration of that card-game balk.

Examples of bilk in a Sentence

Verb an investigation revealed that the garage had been bilking motorists for repairs that had never been made Noun people who lost money in the scheme discovered that the investment company was a fake and the “owner” just a bilk
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Discredited art adviser Lisa Schiff, who last year pleaded guilty to bilking her blue-chip clients out of $6.5 million, has been sentenced to thirty months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. News Desk, Artforum, 19 Mar. 2025 Adams bilked the city's public campaign finance program and received $100,000 in free travel to France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary, and Turkey, according to the indictment. Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
Noun
And, despite its super hinky backstory, a bronze behemoth of bilk is taking shape in Everett. Yvonne Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2018 See All Example Sentences for bilk

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

perhaps alteration of balk entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

1777, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bilk was in 1641

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Bilk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bilk. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on bilk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!