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
Researchers say these intrusions align with activity from the extortion group ShinyHunters, with some overlap in tactics and infrastructure linked to other threat actors like Scattered Spider.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Eric Mathison, 48, of East Boston, pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
Cyber extortion, where hackers steal information like sensitive user data or trade secrets, is a common criminal tactic.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2025
Amid evolving cybersecurity threats, such as ransomware attacks using double or even triple extortion tactics, having regular incident rehearsals sets the tone for resilience.
—Raymond Umerley, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extortion
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Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Eric Mathison, 48, of East Boston, pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
Cyber extortion, where hackers steal information like sensitive user data or trade secrets, is a common criminal tactic.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2025
Amid evolving cybersecurity threats, such as ransomware attacks using double or even triple extortion tactics, having regular incident rehearsals sets the tone for resilience.
—Raymond Umerley, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 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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