extort

verb

ik-ˈstȯrt How to pronounce extort (audio)
Definition of extortnext
as in to coerce
to get (as money) by the use of force or threats a school bully who was used to extorting lunch money from weaker kids

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb extort contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of extort are educe, elicit, evoke, and extract. While all these words mean "to draw out something hidden, latent, or reserved," extort suggests a wringing or wresting from one who resists strongly.

extorted their cooperation by threatening to inform

Where would educe be a reasonable alternative to extort?

While the synonyms educe and extort are close in meaning, educe implies the bringing out of something potential or latent.

educed order out of chaos

In what contexts can elicit take the place of extort?

In some situations, the words elicit and extort are roughly equivalent. However, elicit usually implies some effort or skill in drawing forth a response.

careful questioning elicited the truth

When is evoke a more appropriate choice than extort?

The synonyms evoke and extort are sometimes interchangeable, but evoke implies a strong stimulus that arouses an emotion or an interest or recalls an image or memory.

a song that evokes warm memories

When could extract be used to replace extort?

The words extract and extort can be used in similar contexts, but extract implies the use of force or pressure in obtaining answers or information.

extracted a confession from him

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of extort For example, Bishnoi and others attempted to extort victims in Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks, demanding in December 2025 and January 2026 that a $5 million payment be made, prosecutors contend. — City News Service, Daily News, 7 July 2026 He was arrested again, less than a year later, in September 2019 on an indictment charging him with extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from prospective marijuana vendors looking to do business in the city, and even his own staff. — Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 6 July 2026 The necessity of it to my defence against a more heinous charge could alone have extorted from me so painful an indecorum. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 June 2026 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. — Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for extort
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extort
  1. coerce
  2. squeeze
  3. wring
  4. exact
  5. wrest
Verb
  • Federal prosecutors said the recruitment system helped Epstein abuse hundreds of victims over decades, while some recruiters later said they had themselves been manipulated, exploited or coerced by Epstein into participating.
    — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Some innocents are coerced into false confessions, like what happened to the Central Park Five.
    — Rene Denfeld, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
Definition of coerce
Verb
  • Yet despite their clear burnout, most can’t afford to simply quit; not with the cost of living squeezing every paycheck, AI already closing in on entry-level roles, and one of the toughest job markets in years waiting on the other side.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • As a result, in 2015-16, regulators delayed the crab season for months, ultimately squeezing the typical seven months down to roughly two.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • Unfortunately, the underwhelming revelations don’t elicit the tears Kore-eda regularly wrings.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
  • Gently press out water and air dry in the shade to preserve shape, color, and elasticity—never wring or sun-dry.
    — Gabi De la Rosa, Southern Living, 20 July 2026
Definition of wring
Verb
  • The story exemplifies Bandyopadhyay’s method of locating the partition’s violence beyond the riots, in the economic destitution that followed and what that destitution exacted from women.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • Strategic bunkering further enhances the challenge, ensuring that what appears to be a straightforward short iron can quickly become one of the course's most exacting tests.
    — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of exact
Verb
  • French police rounded up thousands of Jews over two days in July 1942, wresting children from their mothers’ arms and dispatching everyone to Nazi death camps.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • The Smithsonian Institution, which oversees twenty-one museums, among other establishments, operates independently from the executive branch of the government, which makes wresting control over it more difficult.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 15 July 2026
Definition of wrest

Browse Nearby Words

extols
extort
extorted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Extort.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extort. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on extort

Nglish: Translation of extort for Spanish Speakers

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