as in threatened
to use blackmail against (someone)
The old man was being blackmailed by his nephew.
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Recent Examples of blackmailed
However, the politics are complicated as Long Feng (Chin Han) tries to keep the Earth King from knowing about the war and is eventually blackmailed into corruption by the Fire Nation princess, Azula (Elizabeth Yu).
—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
He was never blackmailed by Epstein.
—
Graham Kates,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
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
This comes on the heels of reports of thousands of iPhone thefts in London, with their owners being blackmailed or threatened into giving the thieves their Apple ID credentials, so the thieves can unlock, wipe, and resell the phones.
—
Alan Henry,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Dan Levy knows exactly what keeps him up at night, as the possibility of being blackmailed into committing crimes has haunted him for years.
—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
The show follows two directionless siblings, Morgan and Nicky (Levy), who are blackmailed into the world of organized crime.
—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
When he gets blackmailed by a mystery man, Reeves' character gets help from his high school besties, played by Cameron Diaz and Matt Bomer.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
He was never blackmailed by Epstein.
—
Graham Kates,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
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
This comes on the heels of reports of thousands of iPhone thefts in London, with their owners being blackmailed or threatened into giving the thieves their Apple ID credentials, so the thieves can unlock, wipe, and resell the phones.
—
Alan Henry,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Dan Levy knows exactly what keeps him up at night, as the possibility of being blackmailed into committing crimes has haunted him for years.
—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
The show follows two directionless siblings, Morgan and Nicky (Levy), who are blackmailed into the world of organized crime.
—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
When he gets blackmailed by a mystery man, Reeves' character gets help from his high school besties, played by Cameron Diaz and Matt Bomer.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmailed
Verb
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And while rain threatened, fans never got a break from the heat.
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Keeping the rescue open has been a challenge Even as wounds from the COVID era began to heal, Gordon said tariffs threatened any progress the rescue was able to make.
Verb
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The performance uptick that Motorola squeezed from the 2026 Razr+ is minor at best, with results showing no significant year-over-year gains.
-
There was Paris squeezed between meetings on a fleeting work trip.
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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Richards attained fame as a pioneering male supermodel in major ad campaigns by the likes of Bruce Weber, Richard Avedon, and Helmut Newton, but all along he was being extorted and exploited by Mierers and his followers to bolster (and bankroll) their shaky, pseudoscientific philosophy.
Verb
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Jackson Merrill blasted a ball to left-center field leading off, and, two outs later, Jake Cronenworth drove in two runs with a shot to right-center.
-
Sure, the proliferation of plastic with lounge benefits drove more visitors to the airport lounges.
Verb
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Enterprises that route requests between multiple models can be coerced into selecting the weakest route.
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The study was later shut down after an internal review confirmed that patients were coerced into participating.
Verb
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Despite only scoring four goals across the three games, including a 0-0 draw against Portugal, the South Americans impressed with their free-flowing style of play and eagerness to get players forward.
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Many of them hoped for more such memorable moments but Wan-Bissaka rarely impressed in his second year at the club.
Verb
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In 2023, two adults harassed a 9-year-old child at an elementary school track meet.
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The operation, ProPublica found, ensnared innocent residents of the majority-Black city who said they were targeted and harassed because of their race.
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
“Blackmailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmailed. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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