to murder, as by suffocation, so as to leave no or few marks of violence.
to suppress or get rid of by some indirect maneuver.
Billie Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke, 1886–1970, U.S. actress.
Edmund, 1729–97, Irish statesman, orator, and writer.
Kenneth Duva 1897–1993, U.S. literary critic.
Edmund . 1729–97, British Whig statesman, conservative political theorist, and orator, born in Ireland: defended parliamentary government and campaigned for a more liberal treatment of the American colonies; denounced the French Revolution
Robert O'Hara . 1820–61, Irish explorer, who led the first expedition (1860–61) across Australia from south to north. He was accompanied by W. J. Wills, George Grey, and John King; King alone survived the return journey
William . 1792–1829, Irish murderer and body snatcher; associate of William Hare
to murder in such a way as to leave no marks on the body, usually by suffocation
to get rid of, silence, or suppress
After W. Burke, hanged in 1829 in Edinburgh for murders of this kind
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
No use attempting to burke what is open secret.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 103, August 20, 1892 by Various
There is no need for me to burke the words.
From The Record of Nicholas Freydon An Autobiography by Dawson, A. J. (Alec John)
You cannot, beyond a certain limit of time, burke reality.
From The Free Press by Belloc, Hilaire
I think they used it first for Pethick Lawrence, that man who did so much to run the old militant suffragettes and burke the proper discussion of woman's future.
From Marriage by Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Confound the greedy hypocrite!" said Bob; "does he think we shall let him burke the line for nothing?
From Stories by English Authors: Scotland (Selected by Scribners) by Barrie, J. M. (James Matthew)
Celeste texted Burke in June 2024, according to prosecutors.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The court heard that in another text to Celeste, sent in June 2024, Burke wrote: "Let's let this abortion be the last one til we have the real one…"
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Other photos showed Hernandez touching hands with Burke while wearing a ring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Foreign policy analyst Edward Burke of University College Dublin said the Aughinish controversy reflects a failure by Ireland to react to earlier sanctions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
I stared at Burke, and he stared at me.
From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo
They burked the challenge then; their half measures of diplomatic ostracism only strengthened Franco with his own people.
From Time Magazine Archive
He was far too shrewd to go straight back to the topic burked by his own error.
From The Stowaway Girl by Tracy, Louis
Or to bring it directly home to Dickens, the following quotation will serve: "'You don't mean to say he was "burked," Sam?' said Mr. Pickwick."
From Dickens' London by Mansfield, M. F. (Milburg Francisco)
‘There,’ says I to the people, ‘don’t you make no mistake: I ain’t burked the gent as took it into his head to dress up and come to see—’ But there!
From A Little World by Fenn, George Manville
Sir Charles's proposal was burked; but he had laid the powder, which was soon after fired and led to the successive explosions around the Parnell Commission.
From The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 29, May 1893 An Illustrated Monthly by Various
The burking of his cablegrams, made known by the Baron, was the last straw in an aggravated load.
From The Wheel O' Fortune by Tracy, Louis
Any tax, therefore, levied on those who have neither land nor money is a crying injustice, except, indeed," he added with bitter irony, "we admit of a small pole-tax to keep down burking.
From Dilemmas of Pride, (Vol 1 of 3) by Loudon, Margracia
I encounter a Vagualame disguised, who runs as if all the devils of hell were after him ... who makes off with extraordinary agility, whose presence of mind in burking pursuit is marvellous!...
From A Nest of Spies by Allain, Marcel
It was a singular fact that the really effective means of burking inquiry by the local authorities only occurred to Armathwaite's perplexed brain as he was hurrying back to the Grange.
From The House 'Round the Corner by Tracy, Louis
"I'm not even allowed to weed my own garden now," John thought, burking the point at issue; and his disillusionment became so profound that he actually invited Harold to go for a walk with him.
From Poor Relations by MacKenzie, Compton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
