blackmail

verb

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

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 Countries beyond the United States may be tempted to blackmail their allies, and the threat of nuclear attacks could become normalized. — Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 An announcement that is taking the blame game to great heights or lows, depending on your POV and who is blackmailing who — to paraphrase Bonta banger of earlier this week. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026 Group members will often blackmail victims by threatening to make swatting calls at their home address and have also been known to coerce minors into placing swatting calls themselves. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026 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 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 He was never blackmailed by Epstein. — Graham Kates, CBS News, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmail
  1. threaten
  2. squeeze
  3. drive
  4. extort
  5. impress
  6. coerce
  7. force
Verb
  • An 18-year-old North Carolina woman threatened to fabricate child molestation accusations if a man didn’t give her cash, according to police in Huntersville.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Trump has threatened to also double tariffs on automobiles and auto parts from Canada from 25% to 50%.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of threaten
Verb
  • These portable, lightweight bands squeeze easily into a suitcase and can be used to add resistance to body weight exercises.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Job seekers in South Florida are navigating a tricky mix of stubborn inflation, high interest rates and an AI shift that’s squeezing entry-level hiring.
    — Jessica Lipscomb, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • As such, this is meant to be a workhorse that's also enjoyable to drive.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The song has a driving bass line and would be interesting to perform with a live band.
    — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of drive
Verb
  • The 99-year lease requires the USTA to share revenue with the city and pay for its own infrastructure, an unheard of arrangement today, when sports franchises routinely extort the government for subsidies and tax breaks.
    — Ben Ryder Howe, Curbed, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In his report, Prescott said there is evidence substantiating the claim that Rodriguez-Mendez was extorting Guaranda.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of extort
Verb
  • Young, who also had a fumble, has been impressed with Freeling’s competitiveness in his first camp and chalked up the rookie’s struggles to who lined up opposite him.
    — Joseph Person, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But, with sky-high earnings expectations, can the group led by CEO Jensen Huang actually impress investors?
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of impress
Verb
  • Federal prosecutors claimed that Jeffries leveraged his wealth and power as Abercrombie’s CEO to coerce dozens of men into having sex with him and Smith.
    — Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The inspection followed a hunger strike by detainees, who in a letter, complained about rotten or worm-infested food, medical neglect, and being coerced into signing deportation orders.
    — Vanessa Romo, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of coerce
Verb
  • His removal triggered mass protests that lasted for weeks but ultimately failed to force a reversal of the decision.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The throw arrived in time but landed several feet short, forcing Knizner in an awkward position to make a difficult pick.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of force

Browse Nearby Words

blackly
blackmail
blackmailed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blackmail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmail. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on blackmail

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blackmail

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of southpaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All