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Cook the Books

What Does "Cook the Books" Mean?

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"Cook the books" is an English idiom. It means "to manipulate financial accounts, often for illegal purposes."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "cook the books" used in a sentence:
  • The accountant was arrested for cooking the books.
  • The company went bankrupt after it was revealed they had been cooking the books for years.
  • To avoid taxes, some businesses resort to cooking the books.
meaning for cook the books

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Cook the Books" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

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