as in squeezing
to get (as money) by the use of force or threats
a school bully who was used to extorting lunch money from weaker kids
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Recent Examples of extorting
Google also stated that ShinyHunters commonly uses an attack tactic of extorting victims using emails or telephone calls demanding bitcoin ransom payments within 72 hours of compromise.
—
Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
He was charged in May 2024 with extorting contractors on school construction projects and then accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from those companies.
—Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2025
Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
He was charged in May 2024 with extorting contractors on school construction projects and then accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from those companies.
—Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extorting
Verb
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That could be due to tariffs squeezing automakers, disincentivizing them from giving discounts.—
Senior Reporter,
PC Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
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This could be done by either squeezing the regular season even tighter with more midweek fixtures or putting the Wembley final back a week.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The allegations come amid the ongoing fallout of felony perjury and bribery charges filed in 2023 against Tran, who is accused of paying off and coercing a witness in a separate 2011 murder case.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
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Pressuring or coercing someone into ending their life would be punishable by up to 14 years in prison.—
Alistair Smout,
USA TODAY,
29 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Each bite arresting time for a moment, three of more than 20 exacting courses served each night as a part of chef Nich Bazik’s two-and-a-half-hour tasting menu.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
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By leveraging this technology, engineers can design entire data centers and facilities to exacting power, space, cooling and performance requirements with pinpoint accuracy.—
Marco Chiappetta,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As an aging painter whose legend has begun to fade, McKellen soaks up the moment, commanding Soderbergh’s camera and wringing laugh line after laugh line from Ed Solomon’s script.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
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Whatever minor hand-wringing the opening of the 113-room hotel may have caused, it’s been widely embraced in the few years since opening.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The storm reshaped the coastline, forcing a rushed build and rebuild of the course.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Wildfires destroyed 12,000 structures around Altadena and Pacific Palisades – cutting housing supply and forcing victims to seek new living arrangements.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Extorting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extorting. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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