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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And that came in the guise of a serious illness that threatens — but then ends up solidifying — the unbreakable bond between Deborah (Jean Smart) and her protégé, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), something that has been built up over the course of five seasons.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
29 May 2026
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The result is a self-destructive integration that threatens to bring down the Internet’s greatest monopoly.—
Sunil Sharan,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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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
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War squeezes African, Asian economies further The fallout of the Iran war deepened globally as countries struggled to contain the impact of rising fuel and commodity prices.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Instead of targeting a business that creates jobs, drives economic activity and contributes to local revenue, city leaders should focus on fiscal discipline and core services.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
-
Yuen, cast as the untrained newcomer who upends the protagonist’s world, provides the catalyst that drives the film toward its conclusion.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Birr Castle Demesne Situated in central Ireland, almost exactly between Galway and Dublin, Birr Castle Demesne impresses with 120 picturesque acres of gardens.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
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This impresses easily, and will become part of your regular breakfast rotation.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
16 May 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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In a chilling sequence, Dennis ties a garbage bag over Mallory’s head and drags her into the woods.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
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The United States’ stockpiles of crude oil, gasoline and diesel are falling fast as the war with Iran drags on.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blackmails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmails. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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