as in threatens
to use blackmail against (someone)
The old man was being blackmailed by his nephew.
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Recent Examples of blackmails
The third ended by setting Deborah and Ava on a collision course after Ava blackmails Deborah into becoming head writer of her late-night show, only to render the fallout in cartoonishly broad terms.
—
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Their antagonism peaked at the end of Season 3, when Deborah achieves her dream of landing a late-night chair and Ava blackmails her way into the head-writer job.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Collet-Serra directed and executive produced the film that focused on Egerton as an inexperienced TSA agent who ends up in a battle of wits with a mysterious traveler (Bateman) after the stranger blackmails him into allowing a dangerous package onto a flight on Christmas Eve.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
But is Duncan the devil who manipulates, lies and emotionally blackmails anyone in his orbit?
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
Something Duncan says in a session with JoAnne leads her to unload some stock, like Martha Stewart in 2004, and Duncan, working this out, blackmails her into passing on inside information from her clients to him.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Eager to have his cake and eat it too, Benedict blackmails Sophie into taking a job with his mother.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 30 Jan. 2026
Shay blackmails him, triggering a father-son feud.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Their antagonism peaked at the end of Season 3, when Deborah achieves her dream of landing a late-night chair and Ava blackmails her way into the head-writer job.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Collet-Serra directed and executive produced the film that focused on Egerton as an inexperienced TSA agent who ends up in a battle of wits with a mysterious traveler (Bateman) after the stranger blackmails him into allowing a dangerous package onto a flight on Christmas Eve.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
But is Duncan the devil who manipulates, lies and emotionally blackmails anyone in his orbit?
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
Something Duncan says in a session with JoAnne leads her to unload some stock, like Martha Stewart in 2004, and Duncan, working this out, blackmails her into passing on inside information from her clients to him.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Eager to have his cake and eat it too, Benedict blackmails Sophie into taking a job with his mother.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 30 Jan. 2026
Shay blackmails him, triggering a father-son feud.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmails
Verb
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Members of the monarchy wave from carriages, aristocrats don faintly cartoonish top hats and extravagant millinery threatens to obscure the view at every turn.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
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When Yumeko, played by Martineau, a mysterious transfer student arrives, her gambling prowess puts her in the crosshairs of the powerful Student Council, while her secret quest for revenge threatens to upend the school’s status quo entirely.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
View gallery - 10 images Intended for full-time living, the Porto squeezes a lot into its modest footprint.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 June 2026
-
Even Zach Cherry squeezes plenty from his part as the dealership’s manager, who grows loudly resentful when Nate seems more emotionally invested in his biological children than coworkers.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Fragrance expert Aimee Majoros, author of Aimee Is Beauty, told Real Simple that packaging quietly drives a lot of the markup.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
-
In one scene, the crew drives into Yosemite, where towering granite walls and sweeping vistas leave most visitors speechless.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Newcastle are keen to get the Munoz transfer sealed, given that if the versatile attacker impresses on the global stage, that may prompt greater interest.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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What impresses Dubi most, however, is not Gasol's fame but his leadership style.—
Tim Genske,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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However, the rotation of this filament clearly dominates how the galaxies within it spin, perhaps by funneling hydrogen gas along the dark-matter filament and onto the galaxies in a way that coerces their spin while providing further fuel for star formation.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 Dec. 2025
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Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor, coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Benedict and Sophie meet again in the countryside when Sophie protects a fellow maid after a group of Benedict’s acquaintances harasses her.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The report includes a screenshot that appears to show Accurso engaging with a comment from an Instagram account that frequently praises Hamas and harasses Jews.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The rest of the film drags, the pacing falters, and the story inches toward a mediocre conclusion.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
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Expectations of higher oil prices as the war drags on have kept long-term bond yields elevated, causing mortgage rates to mostly trend higher.—
Alex Veiga,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blackmails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmails. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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