# line one's pockets

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/line-ones-pockets
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To accumulate personal wealth, especially in an illegal or morally objectionable manner.

## Examples

- The corrupt manager tries to line his pockets with company money.
- The politician claimed to care about the public, but he was actually just lining his pockets with tax money.
- By awarding lucrative government contracts to his own shell companies, the official spent years systematically lining his pockets at the expense of the taxpayers.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.