burke

burke

verb \ˈbərk\

burkedburk·ing

Definition of BURKE

transitive verb

1

: to suppress quietly or indirectly <burke an inquiry>

2

: bypass, avoid <burke an issue>

Examples of BURKE

1. <the executives knew that the drug had dangerous side effects, but they burked the findings>

Origin of BURKE

from burke to suffocate, from William Burke †1829 Irish criminal executed for smothering victims to sell their bodies for dissection

First Known Use: 1829

Related to BURKE

Synonyms: suppress, cover (up), hush (up)

Related Words: black out, censor, gag, muzzle, silence; quash, repress, smother, spike, squash, squelch, stifle, strangle, throttle

Near Antonyms: debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask; blab, disclose, divulge, spill, tell, unveil; broadcast, circulate, publish, spread; describe, narrate, recite, recount, rehearse, relate, report

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Rhymes with BURKE

Burke, chirk, cirque, clerk, dirk, irk, jerk, kirk, lurk, murk, perk, quirk, shirk, smirk, stirk, Turk, work, yerk, zerk