extortion
noun
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
He was arrested and charged with extortion.
six dollars for a cup of coffee is just plain extortion
Recent Examples on the Web
Be suspicious of urgent messages One of the most alarming details in the Anthropic report was how the hacker used AI to craft convincing extortion notes.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Nearly half the film focuses on the extortion effort of the mother’s nurse (Billie Lourd).
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
The Jane the Virgin alum’s counterclaims against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which involved allegations of extortion and defamation, were dismissed by Judge Liman in June.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Human shied or extortion racket?
—Johnny Fils-Aimé, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extortion
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Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Nearly half the film focuses on the extortion effort of the mother’s nurse (Billie Lourd).
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
The Jane the Virgin alum’s counterclaims against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which involved allegations of extortion and defamation, were dismissed by Judge Liman in June.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Human shied or extortion racket?
—Johnny Fils-Aimé, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Cite this Entry
“Extortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extortion. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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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