Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cheat or defraud someone, especially out of money: The core meaning involves dishonestly depriving someone of money or valuables that are due to them.
   • To evade payment of a debt: To avoid paying money that one owes.
   • To escape from or elude someone: To avoid or escape from a person, often in a cunning way.

Usage and Examples

• Verb (to cheat out of money):
  • The contractor bilked the elderly couple out of their life savings with a fake home repair scheme.
  • He was accused of bilking investors by promising unrealistic returns.
• Verb (to evade payment):
  • The customer tried to bilk the restaurant by leaving without paying the bill.
  • She bilked her creditors by declaring bankruptcy without legitimate cause.
• Verb (to elude):
  • The fugitive managed to bilk the authorities for several months. (This usage is less common and more literary.)

Advanced Usage

• "to bilk someone out of something": This is the most common construction, specifying what was stolen.
  • The scam was designed to bilk people out of their personal information and bank details.

Variants and Related Words

• Bilker (noun): A person who bilks others; a cheat or swindler.
  • The notorious bilker was finally arrested.

Synonyms

• Swindle: To use deception to deprive someone of money or property.
• Defraud: To illegally obtain money from someone by deception.
• Cheat: To act dishonestly or unfairly to gain an advantage.
• Fleece: To swindle someone out of a large amount of money (informal).

Phrasal Verbs

(This word is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions.)

Related Idioms

(There are no common idioms that feature the word "bilk" as the key component.)

Verb

1. escape, either physically or mentally
   • The thief eluded the police
   • This difficult idea seems to evade her
   • The event evades explanation
2. evade payment to
   • He bilked his creditors
3. hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of
   • What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge
   • foil your opponent
4. cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money