bilk
bilk Lexical Profile
bilk Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To obtain or withhold money from someone by deceit or without justification; to cheat or defraud.
"The dishonest contractor was prosecuted for attempting to bilk elderly homeowners out of thousands of dollars."
To evade, elude, or frustrate (a creditor, obligation, or expectation).
"He slipped out the back door to bilk his creditors before they could serve the notice."
• noun
A fraudulent scheme, deception, or swindle.
"The investment opportunity turned out to be an elaborate bilk that cost retirees their savings."
A person who cheats, defrauds, or evades paying a debt.
"The landlord was wary of renting to a known bilk who had skipped out on previous leases."
• Rhymes for bilk
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the 17th century as a term in the card game cribbage meaning to spoil an opponent's score, likely an alteration of the word balk.