bilk
Verb
- cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money
- Less specific
- cheat
- rip off
- chisel
- hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; “What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth’s amazing September surge”; “foil your opponent”
- Synonyms
- thwart
- queer
- spoil
- scotch
- foil
- cross
- frustrate
- baffle
- Less specific
- prevent
- forestall
- foreclose
- preclude
- forbid
- More specific
- disappoint
- let down
- dash
- short-circuit
- ruin
- See also
- double cross
- Related
- frustrating
- frustrative
- thwarting
- frustration
- frustration
- defeat
- frustration
- thwarting
- foiling
- cross
- crown of thorns
- frustration
- thwarting
- foiling
- obstructionist
- obstructor
- obstructer
- resister
- thwarter
- frustration
- thwarting
- foiling
- evade payment to; “He bilked his creditors”
- Less specific
- deprive
- escape, either physically or mentally; “The thief eluded the police”; “This difficult idea seems to evade her”; “The event evades explanation”
- Synonyms
- elude
- evade
- Less specific
- escape
- get away
- break loose
- Related
- evasion
- elusive
- slip
- elusion
- eluding
- slip
- elusion
- eluding
- bilk — LookUp verb
- Crime informal obtain or withhold money from (someone) unfairly or by deceit; cheat or defraud twenty dollars
Crime obtain (money) fraudulently some businesses bilk thousands of dollars from unsuspecting elderly consumers
- archaic evade; elude
Origin
mid 17th century (originally used in cribbage meaning spoil one’s opponent’s score ): perhaps a variant of balk
Thesaurus
Verb
- thousands of investors claimed they had been bilked by his schemes
Similar Words: swindle defraud cheat fleece exploit deceive trick con bamboozle do diddle sting rip off screw shaft take for a ride take to the cleaners pull a fast one on put one over on sell someone a pup gull rook finagle clip skin swizzle stiff euchre bunco hornswoggle sucker snooker pull a swifty on cozen sharp mulct do someone in the eye