ex·tor·tion
ik-ˈstȯr-shən 
1
: the act or practice of extorting especially money or other property
especially
: the offense committed by an official engaging in such practice
2
: something extorted
especially
: a gross overcharge
Examples of extortion in a Sentence
Noun (1)
He was arrested and charged with extortion.
six dollars for a cup of coffee is just plain extortion
Recent Examples on the Web
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
2 July 2026
Peruvians voted in favor of Fujimori amid a surge in violent crime, extortion and years of political instability.
—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2026
Baldoni later responded with his own $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, claiming defamation, civil extortion, invasion of privacy, and breach of contract.
—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 June 2026
Those caught in the violence include not just those directly involved in the drug wars against the government and rival groups, but also the victims of robberies, extortion, activists, and environmental defenders.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for extortion
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Noun
In an early instance of what authorities believe to have been an extortion attempt, federal prosecutors charged a California man with sending a fake ransom note via text message to Savannah Guthrie's family.
—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
2 July 2026
Peruvians voted in favor of Fujimori amid a surge in violent crime, extortion and years of political instability.
—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2026
Baldoni later responded with his own $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, claiming defamation, civil extortion, invasion of privacy, and breach of contract.
—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 June 2026
Those caught in the violence include not just those directly involved in the drug wars against the government and rival groups, but also the victims of robberies, extortion, activists, and environmental defenders.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Cite this Entry
“Extortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extortion. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
extortion
noun
ex·tor·tion
ik-ˈstȯr-shən
1
: the act or practice of extorting especially money or other property
specifically
: the act or practice of extorting by a public official acting under color of office
2
: the crime of extorting
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