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
But when a mysterious stranger begins blackmailing Neve, she is forced to compromise every legal, moral, and ethical obligation to gain an acquittal — or else risk her dark secrets being exposed.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 May 2026
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
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmailing
Verb
-
TdA members maintain control over their victims by threatening their families, assaulting them, and tracking down and kidnapping women who attempt to flee.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
-
High yields worldwide are threatening to slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and all kinds of other investments.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Carting around unhappy campers in 100-degree weather and squeezing work into a shorter window is not exactly being poolside with a marg.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
4 June 2026
-
The defense is disciplined, squeezing pressure from its trio of wings.—
Esfandiar Baraheni,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
And because the state is naturally scenic with varied terrain from one area to the next, driving between these sights ends up being a journey in and of itself.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
At first, local leaders thought tuberculosis may have been driving the deaths.—
Dr. Sanjay Gupta,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The report describes Indigenous patrols in Venezuela allegedly working alongside armed groups controlling mining areas and extorting workers along river routes.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
-
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
Verb
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As children mature, parents (and society at large) prepare them for adulthood by impressing upon them the fact that their actions have consequences, and their agency increases.—
Ted Chiang,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
-
When a female of the species shows up to check out a male’s fancy digs, the male tosses his shiniest objects in her direction and shows off his plumage in hopes of impressing her.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
In a press release last September, the DOJ announced that a 68-year-old Santa Monica man, Gregory John Curcio, was charged with doxing and harassing an ICE lawyer.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
-
And sure enough, that account had been harassing a six-year-old girl.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blackmailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmailing. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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