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 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 Groff said Epstein told her again after the 2008 plea deal that he was blackmailed. — Lauren Peller, ABC News, 9 June 2026 In 2013, Southern Stars players were blackmailed into obeying instructions by having their salaries withheld. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 4 June 2026 Of course, Lili responds by blackmailing her, threatening to out her for accepting the principal position knowing she'd been mistakenly recruited for the job. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmail
  1. threaten
  2. squeeze
  3. drive
  4. extort
  5. impress
  6. coerce
  7. force
Verb
  • The tariffs – whether threatened or implemented – sent shockwaves through the global economy, tested relationships with longstanding allies and pushed a handful of countries to strike trade deals with Washington to limit the damage.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • If the sky becomes threatening and thunder can be heard, find a safe place to shelter.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of threaten
Verb
  • Every new theorem ratchets one wall inward, squeezing the gap a little tighter.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
  • The brain-squeezing rush of those starts is nearly indescribable.
    — Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 15 July 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • The latest in Houston Salgado Araujo, 52, was driving to work with three other construction crew members when unmarked vehicles carrying federal agents began following his van, his family said.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • When Fumi takes a job at Rin’s clinic planning to expose its darker side, their standoff drives the series, with the story more interested in what pushes people toward transformation than in the surgeries themselves.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 July 2026
Definition of drive
Verb
  • According to the complaint, DGCIM officers repeatedly beat him, fractured his back, administered electric shocks — including to his genitals — and threatened to kill him while extorting money from his wife.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
  • Ransomware encrypts and steals data from computer networks in order to extort ransom payments.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
Definition of extort
Verb
  • Rookie second-round draft pick Emanuel Sharp also had a good game for the Kings (1-2), continuing to impress at both ends of the floor.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • The dunk impressed Peterson, who was photographed on the bench with a look of awe on his face.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026
Definition of impress
Verb
  • Enterprises that route requests between multiple models can be coerced into selecting the weakest route.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • What’s not clear is whether the department will eventually use its muscle to coerce builders, suppliers, and property owners into upgrading their sheds and fielding them more sparingly.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 24 June 2026
Definition of coerce
Verb
  • None of that history mattered though when Nick Moon put Boise on the scoreboard in the seventh minute and forced club staff to scramble for a new corner flag.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 12 July 2026
  • Crew members of a container vessel reported damaged near the Strait of Hormuz were forced to abandon ship, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center said in a separate statement.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 12 July 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 17 Jul. 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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