Bilk
/bɪlk/
verbC2
Definition
Bilk means to trick or cheat a person, especially by not paying money that you should pay or by taking money unfairly. It usually involves dishonest behavior where someone loses money because of another person’s actions.
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See It in Action
To cheat someone out of money
- •The company bilked customers by charging for services they never provided.
- •He was arrested for bilking investors out of millions of dollars.
- •Don’t trust him; he tries to bilk people with fake deals.
To avoid paying a debt or bill
- •She bilked the restaurant by leaving without paying the bill.
- •Some people bilk taxes by hiding their income.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "bilk" like "cheat," but more about money and being unfair in a secret or sneaky way.
- ✓Picture someone hiding money in their hand so others don’t see it—they are bilking others.
- ✓It’s the feeling when you trust someone with money and later find out they took it without permission.
- ✓Sounds like "milk" → imagine someone trying to "milk" money out of others by tricking them.
- ✓Think of a story where a bad character sells fake tickets to a show, bilking people out of their money.
- ✓NOT like "borrow" (which is honest and agreed upon), bilk is taking money without permission.
- ✓NOT like "pay" (giving money), bilk is avoiding payment or stealing money.
- ✓NOT like "steal" (which can be direct taking), bilk often involves trickery or avoiding payment in a clever way.
Try Other Words
- •Swindle: to trick someone to get money (Use when talking about bigger or more planned scams)
- •Defraud: to take money by lying or tricking (Use in legal or formal contexts)
- •Scam: a dishonest plan to get money (Use in everyday language about fraud)
- •Rip off: to charge too much or cheat (Use in informal speech)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no clear prefix or suffix, root word "bilk")
- •Etymology: Origin uncertain, possibly from Middle English or Scandinavian languages meaning to cheat or trick
- •Historical development: Used since the 1600s to mean cheating or avoiding payment
- •Modern usage: Mostly used in formal or legal contexts to describe fraud or cheating with money
Reflect & Connect
•How do you think people feel after being bilked? How would you react?
•Can bilking happen in everyday situations, or is it only for big financial crimes?
Fill in the blanks
1.The business was shut down because it bilked customers ___ paying for services they never got.
2.When someone bilks money, they usually do it in a way that is ___ or hidden.
3.Bilk is different from borrow because borrowing means ___ permission, but bilking means taking without it.
4.After the event, he bilked the bill by ___ without paying.
5.People who bilk others often use tricks or ___ to avoid paying.
6.If a person bilks you, you can usually feel ___ or angry about being cheated.
7.Bilking can happen in many places, but it is especially serious when it involves ___ or investments.