as in threatening
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 blackmailing
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
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
-
But the point buried within Napier’s coach-speak seminar explains why Power 4 teams, especially those with playoff aspirations, may stop scheduling remotely threatening Group of 5 opponents.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Drummond has served prison time for robbing a convenience store and threatening to go after jurors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Row the dumbbell up towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
8 Sep. 2025
-
While startups occasionally push boundaries with optimization techniques—squeezing more efficiency out of existing silicon—barriers to entry are overwhelmingly high.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Good Fortune follows Reeves as an angel, Gabriel, tasked by his boss, Martha (Sandra Oh), with stopping humans from dying while texting and driving.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Avoid using phones or other distracting behaviors while driving in a work zone.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
He was charged in May 2024 with extorting contractors on school construction projects and then accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from those companies.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The visiting Boxers have garnered attention with quarterback Marcio Semedo impressing at this summer’s Northeast 7v7 tournament.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
By all indications out of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, Frankenstein is impressing most Rotten Tomatoes critics.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
When a girl in Michigan and her new boyfriend start getting harassing texts from a mysterious stranger, what starts as a little scary becomes deeply weird when the true culprit is discovered.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 Aug. 2025
-
According to Dresden police, two men began harassing female passengers on the tram.—
Daniel Orton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blackmailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmailing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share