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
At its mid-’90s peak, upwards of 14 million people tuned in each week to see who was sleeping with, blackmailing or attempting to murder whom.
—
Andrea Lavinthal, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
While Duncan blackmailing his doctor would have made for a perfectly satisfying conclusion, the episode packs one more mic drop.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Members of the group allegedly conduct coordinated extortions of teens by blackmailing them.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Aviles and his attorney have denied the blackmailing accusation.
—Connor Greene, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
Whitney had a Jeffrey Epstein-like habit of blackmailing powerful associates with recordings of intimate moments, often with his ex-escort assistant Haley (Kiernan Shipka).
—Alison Herman, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
Gonzales has refused to address the report and instead claims the late staffer's husband is blackmailing him.
—Jj Velasquez, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Feb. 2026
These creations are doing things their makers can’t explain, including blackmailing, lying, refusing to shut down and telling kids how to commit suicide.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Pavel accused Macinka of blackmailing him.
—ABC News, 15 Feb. 2026
Andrea Lavinthal, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
While Duncan blackmailing his doctor would have made for a perfectly satisfying conclusion, the episode packs one more mic drop.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Members of the group allegedly conduct coordinated extortions of teens by blackmailing them.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Aviles and his attorney have denied the blackmailing accusation.
—Connor Greene, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
Whitney had a Jeffrey Epstein-like habit of blackmailing powerful associates with recordings of intimate moments, often with his ex-escort assistant Haley (Kiernan Shipka).
—Alison Herman, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
Gonzales has refused to address the report and instead claims the late staffer's husband is blackmailing him.
—Jj Velasquez, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Feb. 2026
These creations are doing things their makers can’t explain, including blackmailing, lying, refusing to shut down and telling kids how to commit suicide.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Pavel accused Macinka of blackmailing him.
—ABC News, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmailing
Verb
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In the meantime, the energy crisis continues, threatening summer holidays in Asia and Europe as the loss of jet fuel supplies from the Middle East ripples across those regions.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
7 May 2026
-
Plus, with carbon pricing now covering 28 percent of global emissions, the industry faces growing exposure to a new layer of fiscal jeopardy, threatening the viability of traditional low-cost production models.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Gas prices, housing costs and groceries are squeezing people who are working hard yet still falling behind.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Prices for everything are higher, squeezing already tight budgets to the breaking point, with no end in sight.—
The Virginian Pilot And Daily Press Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Senior Stanley Filiaga was the driving force of the Scorpions’ offense.—
Dan Rios,
Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Limited supplies are leading to higher prices The memory crunch is driving downstream cost increases that are weighing on the hyperscalers.—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Dozens of armed groups run rampant in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, extorting businesses, kidnapping people and driving farmers off their land.—
Caitlin Stephen Hu,
CNN Money,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The official reports into that incident show that Epstein initially told prison officials that his cellmate had tried to kill him after extorting him for money.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Snelling did not make the Marlins' opening-day roster despite impressing coaches during spring training.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
-
Shortstop Colson Montgomery, 24, is excelling both offensively and defensively in his first full season, again impressing, in particular, with his power.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
Verb
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During a motions hearing in May 2024, prosectors presented evidence of Bryant having a history of harassing and stalking young women, even breaking into their apartments, per 11 Alive.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
-
Monday night when the teen suspect and two friends woke him up and began harassing him, at one point urinating in a cup and throwing it on the victim, according to prosecutors citing surveillance footage.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blackmailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmailing. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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