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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of racketeers
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
The characters were based on a real family of bookmakers and racketeers who once lived in England.
—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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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The 16 reputed gangsters or aspiring gangsters charged in the indictment range in age from 19 to 24.
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Neither immigrant family should be linked to violent gangsters, of course.
Verb
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The third ended by setting Deborah and Ava on a collision course after Ava blackmails Deborah into becoming head writer of her late-night show, only to render the fallout in cartoonishly broad terms.
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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.
Noun
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The actions of these thugs, who should be imprisoned for a long while, is the cause of denying real Knicks fans the chance to watch the game communally.
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People have committed suicide because a bunch of thugs went after them.
Verb
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This forces the lower esophageal sphincter, the valve between the esophagus and the stomach, to open and close rapidly in succession.
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Andy’s diagnosis pulled her back overnight—a common reality for glioblastoma families, since the disease often forces patients to stop working.
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.
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Grandchildren are being summoned to help grandparents deal with blackmailers.
Verb
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One year later, the XFL muscles its way onto the national sports scene with its first two games.
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Gringo Films does not sound like the kind of company that muscles its way into the global animation business.
Noun
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As the bomb squad works to disarm it, FBI rushes to catch the extortionists.
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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.
Verb
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An activist often pressures a board to focus more on costs, assets, and capital allocation.
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Allocation system pressures dealers.
Cite this Entry
“Racketeers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racketeers. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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