as in to threaten
to use blackmail against (someone)
The old man was being blackmailed by his nephew.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blackmail
Shay blackmails him, triggering a father-son feud.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
There have been reports of hackers using your home's location on maps to blackmail you or impersonating your boss to demand money.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
But in July, the FBI and DOJ released a joint memo stating there was no Epstein client list and no credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.
—Julie K. Brown Miami Herald, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
But in July, the FBI and DOJ released a joint memo stating there was no Epstein client list and no credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blackmail
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
There have been reports of hackers using your home's location on maps to blackmail you or impersonating your boss to demand money.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
But in July, the FBI and DOJ released a joint memo stating there was no Epstein client list and no credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.
—Julie K. Brown Miami Herald, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
But in July, the FBI and DOJ released a joint memo stating there was no Epstein client list and no credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blackmail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmail
Verb
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At one points, the fallout from the texts threatened to subsume the governor’s race.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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With two straight victories after a 1-5 start, the Ravens have picked themselves off the mat and are threatening to get back in the playoff mix.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The polls had him on top for months, and his decision to focus his mayoral campaign on cost-of-living issues proved to be the right one in a city where residents are increasingly squeezed between growing rents and ever costlier public services.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Aid is declining and rising debt is squeezing public budgets.—
Obiageli Ezekwesili,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The offer is available for dine-in and drive-thru only and is not valid through the McDonald’s app.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Nov. 2025
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Timber, litter and understory vegetation are the main fuels driving the wildfire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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By the following year, the FBI had recovered millions of dollars extorted from Colonial Pipeline by Darkside.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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But in a rarity, a string of attacks were sourced to a pair of cybersecurity employees out to extort millions from victims.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Irish still have one more ranked game remaining on their schedule to impress fans and the committee.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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At Valentino, Piccioli impressed the fashion world with his skills as a couturier, which is a major asset given Balenciaga returned to couture in 2021, as well as with his ability to modernise a heritage brand.—
Vogue Business Team,
Vogue,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Further complicating matters, Doe was interviewed by Phong Tran, a then-Oakland detective who has since been charged with perjury for allegedly coercing witnesses into falsely incriminating murder defendants.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
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The lawsuit accused the company of coercing customers into signing agreements that allowed the company to act as the exclusive real estate listing agent for an undisclosed period of time.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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His rule finally came to an end in 1998 after the Asian financial crisis threw the country into economic turmoil, prompting widespread protests and forcing Suharto to resign – one of the last people power movements to sweep Southeast Asia and replace a Cold War-era autocrat with democracy.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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The last of those darts was fired (initially on X) by Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, who is a resistance darling of the moment after forcing through new, Democrat-friendly congressional maps in his state last week.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blackmail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmail. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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