as in threatening
to use blackmail against (someone)
The old man was being blackmailed by his nephew.
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Recent Examples of blackmailing
The proposal set off alarm bells in the Norwegian media, with unverified claims that Verrett was blackmailing Louise.
—
Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
Another minor added that Smith involved her husband, telling him that the victim had a video of her smoking marijuana with them and was blackmailing her.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
After Matthew starts blackmailing Oliver, there’s an obvious shift in the way the group interacts with him.
—Michael Cuby, Them., 27 Aug. 2025
Some users bragged about allegedly assaulting or blackmailing women and encouraged others to insult the women shown in photos with degrading language.
—Cnn Staff 20 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Some of the stranger and more alarming AI behaviors, such as blackmailing or deceiving users, have been extensively studied by these companies as a first step toward mitigating possible harms.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2025
Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
Another minor added that Smith involved her husband, telling him that the victim had a video of her smoking marijuana with them and was blackmailing her.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
After Matthew starts blackmailing Oliver, there’s an obvious shift in the way the group interacts with him.
—Michael Cuby, Them., 27 Aug. 2025
Some users bragged about allegedly assaulting or blackmailing women and encouraged others to insult the women shown in photos with degrading language.
—Cnn Staff 20 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Some of the stranger and more alarming AI behaviors, such as blackmailing or deceiving users, have been extensively studied by these companies as a first step toward mitigating possible harms.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmailing
Verb
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The rebels, led by Deepak Rauniyar and Binod Paudel, fired off a scathing letter to the Academy demanding a full investigation and threatening to blow up Nepal’s Oscar dreams entirely.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
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Trump has been criticized lately for pressuring the Federal Reserve and threatening its independence.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While many traditional inner-thigh exercises focus solely on squeezing motions, more effective adductor training also incorporates movements in multiple planes and challenges the muscles to work as stabilizers rather than just prime movers.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The squeeze One way Californians cope with pricey housing is by squeezing more than the typical number of people into their living spaces.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While driving - Stick to the middle lanes and stay on elevated ground.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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Arsenal have been so used to Saka coming inside onto his left foot, so to have a player who is equally capable of driving down the outside and running along the byline is a new threat.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The student at Fieldstone Middle School in Stony Point in the New York City metropolitan area was accused of extorting classmates under the age of 16 using explicit material to get gift cards or more explicit content.—
Nancy Cutler,
USA Today,
20 Sep. 2025
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Google also stated that ShinyHunters commonly uses an attack tactic of extorting victims using emails or telephone calls demanding bitcoin ransom payments within 72 hours of compromise.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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So far, Hazelton said, the new Google DeepMind ensemble, which has been impressing forecasters with its accuracy, is split on whether the closest system could recurve out into the ocean or make landfall somewhere along the Southeast coast.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
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Strike a balance between impressing your friends with your culinary skills and tablescape prowess and outsourcing dishes and being flexible—no formal dining room necessary.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Kruitbosch told her to stop harassing him.—
Dan Eaton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Sep. 2025
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Since arriving in the UAE in February, Shelley has already caused two major scandals by harassing women in an Abu Dhabi bar and violating Emirati security protocols.—
Monica Marks,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blackmailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmailing. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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