cook the books
The phrase "cook the books" is an idiom commonly used to describe fraudulent financial practices intended to deceive stakeholders.
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Definition
C1Finance
(idiomatic, informal)To dishonestly alter financial records to make a company's financial situation appear better.
Example
- The CEO was found guilty of cooking the books to inflate the company's profits.
C1Business
(idiomatic, informal)To falsify financial information to mislead stakeholders or regulatory authorities.
Example
- The accountant was fired for cooking the books to hide the company's losses.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "cook the books":