Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
to cook the books
idiom
/tə ˈkʊk ðə bʊks/
Definition
To manipulate financial records dishonestly in order to present a false picture of a company’s financial health.
Examples
- The accountant was caught trying to cook the books to hide the company’s losses.
- After the scandal broke, it became clear that the executives had been cooking the books for years.
Meaning
This phrase refers to the illicit practice of altering financial data to make a company appear more profitable or stable than it actually is. It often involves the intentional misrepresentation of earnings, expenses, or other financial metrics.
Synonyms
- falsify records
- manipulate accounts
- commit fraud
- engage in financial deception
