as in to threaten
to use blackmail against (someone)
The old man was being blackmailed by his nephew.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blackmail
Groff said Epstein told her again after the 2008 plea deal that he was blackmailed.
—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
In 2013, Southern Stars players were blackmailed into obeying instructions by having their salaries withheld.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
Of course, Lili responds by blackmailing her, threatening to out her for accepting the principal position knowing she'd been mistakenly recruited for the job.
—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
Their antagonism peaked at the end of Season 3, when Deborah achieves her dream of landing a late-night chair and Ava blackmails her way into the head-writer job.
—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for blackmail
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
In 2013, Southern Stars players were blackmailed into obeying instructions by having their salaries withheld.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
Of course, Lili responds by blackmailing her, threatening to out her for accepting the principal position knowing she'd been mistakenly recruited for the job.
—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
Their antagonism peaked at the end of Season 3, when Deborah achieves her dream of landing a late-night chair and Ava blackmails her way into the head-writer job.
—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for blackmail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmail
Verb
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The caller reported that a family member was threatening them.
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In the weeks since Fable 5 and Mythos 5 were forced out of commission, industry leaders and experts became increasingly worried that the ad-hoc ban would threaten America’s AI lead against China.
Verb
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As artificial intelligence transforms the job market and rising living costs squeeze family budgets, the University of California system is making the case that its degrees remain valuable investments.
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Breweries may not have the budget or staff to create art and with rising costs squeezing small businesses, many breweries started to feature obvious generative AI art prominently as a way to talk about events or create content.
Verb
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The abnormal heat has been driven by the onset of El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean.
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Congestion is difficult to predict, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, when driving behavior shifted and peak traffic hours spread out instead of sticking to the more uniform 9-to-5 workday.
Verb
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The necessity of it to my defence against a more heinous charge could alone have extorted from me so painful an indecorum.
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Perhaps our two states should work in coordination to address our relative strengths and weaknesses together instead of allowing billionaire NFL ownership to extort one state over another.
Verb
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The group also impresses with unique choreography, incorporating Pilates balls into their routine.
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Pimiento cheese is a Southern classic, and this dip adds a couple twists to impress at any gathering.
Verb
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Weger later insisted he had been coerced into making the confession.
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The decentralized group, created by 15-year-old Bradley Chance Cadenhead in Stephenville, targets children through social media, gaming platforms and messaging apps to coerce them into self-harm and sharing explicit content.
Verb
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Extreme heat has forced several communities in the Washington area to cancel or scale back their Independence Day celebrations.
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The Kings forced 20 turnovers, leading to a 22-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Cite this Entry
“Blackmail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmail. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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