blackmail

verb

Definition of blackmailnext
as in to threaten
to use blackmail against (someone) The old man was being blackmailed by his nephew.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blackmail Irene has blackmailed the Bohemian royal family, Carrie is a thief who has stolen rare stamps from a penniless woman unaware of their value, and Fanny disguises as a man to gain access to a bank vault. — Literary Hub, 24 July 2026 In the past, models from OpenAI and other providers were theoretically shown to be capable of blackmailing users to prevent shutdowns. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 20 July 2026 But when a mysterious stranger begins blackmailing Neve, she is forced to compromise every legal, moral, and ethical obligation to gain an acquittal — or else risk her dark secrets being exposed. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 15 July 2026 Some students discovered the account and blackmailed Nichols into giving them better grades, the warrant states. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 Before work, Geri heads off to question Joyce Tercek, the Yale admissions lady that Dennis blackmailed in the elevator a few episodes ago. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 1 July 2026 However, the politics are complicated as Long Feng (Chin Han) tries to keep the Earth King from knowing about the war and is eventually blackmailed into corruption by the Fire Nation princess, Azula (Elizabeth Yu). — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 He was never blackmailed by Epstein. — Graham Kates, CBS News, 26 June 2026 Okay, so the AI took it upon itself to blackmail the person. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmail
  1. threaten
  2. squeeze
  3. drive
  4. extort
  5. impress
  6. coerce
  7. force
Verb
  • With funding now threatened, Duncan fears that programs serving underserved schools could be cut, saying that the money is invaluable to Los Angeles.
    — Hunter Sowards, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Their escalating ambitions threaten to tear the community apart.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of threaten
Verb
  • Rising costs have hit lower-income Americans the hardest, squeezing their discretionary spending.
    — Michelle Chapman, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Missouri Republicans redrew their map to squeeze Democrats, while Virginia moved its primary from June to August for a Democratic redistricting push that courts ultimately threw out.
    — Maham Javaid, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • Other experts say that unless Japan addresses the structural forces driving the weakness in yen, the intervention's effects are likely to be short-lived.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Both have driven over 20B minutes of viewership on streaming platforms from January through June.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of drive
Verb
  • In fact, the company claims that Afram and the production company are attempting to use the lawsuit to extort money from Netflix, including by issuing a demand letter for $165 million.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
  • Empact says there's also a growing use of artificial intelligence to extort and coerce juveniles into human trafficking.
    — James Taylor, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of extort
Verb
  • Photography by Venetia Scott impresses itself on you like that—an entire aesthetic world, made by an ultra-discreet British fashion photographer-polymath who lives and works at the end of a quiet street in North Kensington.
    — Sarah Mower, Architectural Digest, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Advanced Micro Devices is primed to outperform even after its latest financial report failed to impress investors, analysts said.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of impress
Verb
  • Anna’s colleague Noa Toussaint (CCH Pounder) follows with a video of Max coercing his mistress into suicide, shattering the narrative that bought his freedom.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026
  • Empact says there's also a growing use of artificial intelligence to extort and coerce juveniles into human trafficking.
    — James Taylor, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of coerce
Verb
  • In the Netherlands and neighboring Germany cargo ships that ply the Rhine and its offshoots have been forced to carry significantly less freight or risk running aground in shallow navigation channels.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The fire has also forced evacuations at Spokane’s veterans’ hospital, water reclamation facility and waste-to-energy plant, city officials said.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of force

Browse Nearby Words

blackly
blackmail
blackmailed
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Cite this Entry

“Blackmail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmail. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on blackmail

Nglish: Translation of blackmail for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blackmail

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