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.
It has been said that in the delays in bringing forward this subject, I have been anxious to burke discussion.
From Indian speeches (1907-1909) by Morley, John
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
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
He has never been known to burke a school.
From Anticipations Of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress upon Human life and Thought by Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
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
The next night, prosecutors say, Burke paid for an Uber to bring Hernandez from her Lake Elsinore home to his Hollywood residence.
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
In an exchange from January 2024, Burke apologised to the teen for "putting her through this", according to messages shown in the Los Angeles court on Friday.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
One Burke Allen was the father and the other Burke Allen was the grandfather, and the final Burke Allen was my Burke Allen.
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
I’ve tried to get something out of Murad, but my messengers have failed; but all the same, I feel sure he knows all about it, and burked Arthur for a reason of his own.”
From One Maid's Mischief by Fenn, George Manville
The Mahmal was burked this year, and the fair at Tantah forbidden.
From Letters from Egypt by Ross, Janet
But this proposal by no means suited his ardent backers-up, who looked upon the whole affair as providential, and by no means to be burked.
From Follow My leader The Boys of Templeton by Stacey, W. S. (Walter S.)
He was far too shrewd to go straight back to the topic burked by his own error.
From The Stowaway Girl by Tracy, Louis
Well, of course, if Farrant chooses to insult Percival so gratuitously by burking his message to us....
From Waste A Tragedy, In Four Acts by Granville-Barker, Harley
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'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
You don’t suppose as I’m giving up my respectable business of a nat’ralist to go in for burking and doctor’s work, do you?
From A Little World by Fenn, George Manville
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
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.
