extortion
noun
ex·tor·tion
ik-ˈstȯr-shən 
1
: the act or practice of extorting especially money or other property
especially
: the offense committed by an official engaging in such practice
2
: something extorted
especially
: a gross overcharge
Examples of extortion in a Sentence
He was arrested and charged with extortion.
six dollars for a cup of coffee is just plain extortion
Recent Examples on the Web
In his countersuit, Baldoni accused Lively, Reynolds and others of extortion and defamation.
—
Benjamin Vanhoose, People.com, 6 June 2025
Jury sees alleged paper trail of 2011 extortion payment
Following Garcia's testimony about accepting a $100,000 payment from Combs, prosecutors called Combs' longtime employee Derek Ferguson to drill down into the financial structure of Combs' business empire.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 3 June 2025
The federal grand jury indicted Brady on four counts of extortion and three counts of use of interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 28 May 2025
Though never charged in the actual Tylenol killings, Lewis was convicted of extortion for sending a letter to Tylenol maker Johnson & Johnson taking responsibility for the deaths and demanding $1 million to stop them.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for extortion
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Benjamin Vanhoose, People.com, 6 June 2025
Jury sees alleged paper trail of 2011 extortion payment
Following Garcia's testimony about accepting a $100,000 payment from Combs, prosecutors called Combs' longtime employee Derek Ferguson to drill down into the financial structure of Combs' business empire.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 3 June 2025
The federal grand jury indicted Brady on four counts of extortion and three counts of use of interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 28 May 2025
Though never charged in the actual Tylenol killings, Lewis was convicted of extortion for sending a letter to Tylenol maker Johnson & Johnson taking responsibility for the deaths and demanding $1 million to stop them.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Cite this Entry
“Extortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extortion. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
extortion
noun
ex·tor·tion
ik-ˈstȯr-shən
1
: the act or practice of extorting especially money or other property
specifically
: the act or practice of extorting by a public official acting under color of office
2
: the crime of extorting
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