burke

burke — verb

1. to stop a question, report, or plan from being fully examined or openly discusse

1.動詞及物C2
釋義

to stop a question, report, or plan from being fully examined or openly discussed, usually by indirect action

例句

The mayor tried to burke the report before the council meeting.

burke + report

Editors burked the story after advertisers complained about the factory fire.

burke + story to stop publicity

同義詞
  • suppress

    the broadest and most common choice for stopping something from being expressed or known

  • hush up

    informal; strongly suggests hiding embarrassing facts

  • quash

    more official; often used for stopping a complaint, case, or attempt by authority

  • stifle

    often suggests choking off discussion, growth, or feeling before it develops

反義詞
  • expose

    to bring hidden facts into public view

  • investigate

    to examine a matter instead of smothering it

文法句型

burke + inquiry / report / complaint

burke + discussion / questions

用法筆記

Object is usually an inquiry, report, complaint, or discussion that someone wants kept from public attention. Distinguish from sense 2: here the aim is to stop examination or debate, not simply get round a step.

常見錯誤

❌The police burked the thief behind the station.
✅The police caught the thief behind the station.
💡burke does not mean physically catch or stop a person; it is used for suppressing a matter or discussion.

2. to get past a rule, step, or difficult point without dealing with it directly

2.動詞及物C2
釋義

to get past a rule, step, or difficult point without dealing with it directly

例句

Rather than answer, the minister burked the question with a joke.

burke + question

The website burkes the payment step if you save your card.

burke + step

同義詞
  • bypass

    the closest neutral word for going round a step or system

  • sidestep

    often suggests cleverly avoiding a question or problem

  • dodge

    more informal and often more obvious or sneaky

  • evade

    more formal; commonly suggests avoiding a duty, answer, or responsibility

反義詞
  • face

    to deal with a difficulty or question directly

  • address

    to give proper attention to an issue instead of avoiding it

文法句型

burke + question / issue

burke + rule / step / procedure

用法筆記

Often used with objects such as a question, rule, stage, or difficulty. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense skips round something, while sense 1 keeps it from being aired or pursued.

常見錯誤

❌We burked to answer the email.
✅We burked the question in the email.
💡burke takes a direct object; it is not followed by a to-infinitive.
❌We burked the museum because it was closed.
✅We skipped the museum because it was closed.
💡burke is a rare formal word, usually used for a question, step, rule, or issue rather than an ordinary travel plan.