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.
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)
There is no disposition here to burke the fact that these responsibilities are serious, if not onerous; that they call for administrative statesmanship of a very high order.
From The Head Hunters of Northern Luzon by Willcox, Cornélis de Witt
He had been sure then, and he was sure now, that Ministers desired to burke the question, to deceive the people, to produce a bill that should be no bill.
From Phineas Finn The Irish Member by Trollope, Anthony
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)
There must be no question of trying to shirk or burke it.
From My Friend Prospero by Harland, Henry
Prosecutors say Burke and Hernandez had been in a relationship for nearly two years but “broke up” in November 2024.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Burke has never acknowledged the leaked track was his work, and there is no confirmation that the Celeste mentioned in the song is Celeste Rivas.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Burke even traveled with Hernandez’s family to Six Flags Magic Mountain, according to court testimony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The messages were shown during a hearing for a judge to determine if the singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, should go on trial for the teen's death last year.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
I dropped my notebook, and Mr. Burke knelt down and handed it to me.
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
They burked the challenge then; their half measures of diplomatic ostracism only strengthened Franco with his own people.
From Time Magazine Archive
Every woman who dares to speak on this great burked subject seems to have "a remedy" ready to her hand.
From The Truth About Woman by Hartley, C. Gasquoine (Catherine Gasquoine)
I am sorry to say that, stenographically speaking, I burked Isaiah, and contented myself with the long-hand abbreviation, Is., and as to the text itself, I thought the first three words would suffice.
From Curious Church Customs and Cognate Subjects by Andrews, William
And she had burked the revolution—betrayed it, I suppose—and the consequences did not ensue, and Halderschrodt and all the rest of them were left high and dry.
From The Inheritors by Conrad, Joseph
He was far too shrewd to go straight back to the topic burked by his own error.
From The Stowaway Girl 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
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
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
For there is no burking the truth that in many respects the American woman carries about her a peculiar charm ungranted as yet to her European sisters.
From Post-Prandial Philosophy by Allen, Grant
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
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.
