Translation guide
To avoid paying money owed, especially by cheating or running away. Often used for skipping out on a bill, fare, or debt.
He bilked the restaurant and ran away.
Colloquial term for eating and running. More casual than 無銭飲食.
That customer bilked us.
Specifically for drinking and running, e.g., at a bar.
Some people get drunk and bilk the bar.
To avoid paying for transportation.
Formal term for fare evasion. Literally 'riding without fare'.
Fare evasion is a crime.
Refers to the trick of using two tickets to cover only the start and end of a journey, skipping the middle. From the smoking pipe 'kiseru'.
Literally 'to trample on the fare', meaning to stiff someone on a fare.
To obtain money by deception or swindle.
To evade a financial responsibility.
There is no single Japanese word that covers all uses of 'bilk'. Choose the expression based on the specific situation: skipping a bill, evading a fare, or committing fraud.
He got caught bilking the train and paid a fine.
He tried to bilk the taxi fare.
The company bilked customers out of money.
I was bilked by a shady business.
He's looking for ways to bilk his taxes.