emotional blackmail

noun

: an attempt to control someone with whom one has an emotional connection by tactics that make the person feel guilty or upset
He used emotional blackmail to get what he wanted from her.

Examples of emotional blackmail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This is not bending to emotional blackmail, but responding to his brother’s honesty. Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 Don’t act out of spite or engage in emotional blackmail. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2024 An election centered on two competing exercises in emotional blackmail isn’t a persuasive enterprise. Noah Rothman, National Review, 22 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'emotional blackmail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near emotional blackmail

Cite this Entry

“Emotional blackmail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotional%20blackmail. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

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