as in gangsters
a person who gets money from another by using force or threats
the racketeer threatened to have his thugs vandalize the shop if the shopkeeper didn't pay him a monthly bribe
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Recent Examples of racketeers
Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
When Ferrara was starting out, private investment in low-budget films was spurred by tax loopholes, a way for doctors, dentists, and racketeers to get rid of extra cash that would otherwise wind up in Uncle Sam’s grubby mitts.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racketeers
Noun
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In the film, the twins return from Chicago in the early 1930s, which inspired Carter to turn to photos of Chicago gangsters from the era.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Ryan Gosling plays an American expat in Bangkok who gets in over his head with some local gangsters.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The forces involved in this deadly crackdown include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its Basij thugs and various divisions of Iran’s security forces.—
Hamid Kashani,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
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When three murderous thugs attempt to reclaim the contraband from Susan, a nightmarish scenario unfolds during the two-hour stage story.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Eager to have his cake and eat it too, Benedict blackmails Sophie into taking a job with his mother.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
30 Jan. 2026
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Donald wins the governor’s race, but Lee blackmails him into signing over his family’s land to the Osage Nation in memory of his late brother.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Despite paying off blackmailers and marrying Lady Olivia Hedges (Danielle Galligan) to protect his secret, Arthur still loses his father’s Parliament seat after getting caught committing election fraud.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That vacancy now forces Kehoe’s office to search for other candidates at a crucial time as the city prepares to host World Cup matches this summer.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
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Weird news or a bizarre conversation forces you to change course as Mercury and Uranus clash!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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These kinds of sweeping outages are typically the result either of ransomware attacks, where online extortionists paralyse corporate networks in the hope of payment, or deliberate sabotage.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 Sep. 2025
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These kinds of sweeping outages are typically the result either of ransomware attacks, where online extortionists paralyze corporate networks in the hope of payment, or deliberate digital sabotage.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One year later, the XFL muscles its way onto the national sports scene with its first two games.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Gringo Films does not sound like the kind of company that muscles its way into the global animation business.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If someone pressures for more, that’s their problem.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
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The message pressures immediate action, directs users to non-government websites, and requests sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, bank details or login credentials.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Racketeers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racketeers. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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