as in to coerce
to get (as money) by the use of force or threats a school bully who was used to extorting lunch money from weaker kids

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb extort contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of extort are educe, elicit, evoke, and extract. While all these words mean "to draw out something hidden, latent, or reserved," extort suggests a wringing or wresting from one who resists strongly.

extorted their cooperation by threatening to inform

Where would educe be a reasonable alternative to extort?

While the synonyms educe and extort are close in meaning, educe implies the bringing out of something potential or latent.

educed order out of chaos

In what contexts can elicit take the place of extort?

In some situations, the words elicit and extort are roughly equivalent. However, elicit usually implies some effort or skill in drawing forth a response.

careful questioning elicited the truth

When is evoke a more appropriate choice than extort?

The synonyms evoke and extort are sometimes interchangeable, but evoke implies a strong stimulus that arouses an emotion or an interest or recalls an image or memory.

a song that evokes warm memories

When could extract be used to replace extort?

The words extract and extort can be used in similar contexts, but extract implies the use of force or pressure in obtaining answers or information.

extracted a confession from him

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 extort Days after a subpoena roped Taylor Swift into the legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the latter’s lawyers accused the actress’ legal team of attempting to extort a public statement out of the singer. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025 Surveillance camera footage from the lobby of a building down the street from the U.S. Capitol provided a break in the three-year search for the person who was extorting a young man from Buffalo, New York. Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 15 June 2025 Juan was eventually released on May 18, 1996, but the kidnappers held Luis for three additional days, to extort more money from the family. Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 14 June 2025 Lane allegedly agreed with others to extort a $200,000 ransom payment from a telecommunications company by threatening to publicly disseminate customer data that had been stolen from the company’s computer network. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for extort
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extort
Verb
  • One of the former detectives Dillard accused of helping harass and coerce a witness into testifying was among the Wolverines.
    Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 3 July 2025
  • In the end, the evidence came down to how coerced the female victims were.
    Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz , Maria Paronich , Brendan McDonald, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Paul Blackburn, with plenty of starting experience for Oakland, could squeeze into the picture too – especially if the Mets decide to try a six-man rotation that would save wear and tear on each man.
    Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • When pancake is ready to flip, squeeze the cinnamon mixture into a swirl shape on top of the pancake batter, pressing the tip of the bag slightly into the batter.
    Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • If in one conversation, my counterparts are wringing their hands over a sluggish economy, the next reveals how quickly artificial intelligence is revamping industries.
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 3 July 2025
  • Little by little, this fixation on wringing out every cent that exhibitors can from their screens has made going to the movies less special and less distinctive.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • Hopefully this will also give exacting users the ability to refresh their machine by sharpening a pair of mower blades (instead of going through the process of tediously replacing 10 individual razor blades).
    Anthony Karcz, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Those unanswered questions include how protagonist Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) would exact vengeance on the deadly Games’ overseer, the Front Man’s backstory, and what happens to the detective who managed to infiltrate the game—only to be shot in the end.
    Judy Berman, Time, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is the linchpin of a new aid system that wrested distribution away from aid groups led by the U.N.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 July 2025
  • To rescue InGen from bankruptcy, Hammond’s nephew — Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard), who wrested control of the company away from his uncle after the park debacle — wants to exploit the dinosaurs.
    Will Harris, EW.com, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Extort.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extort. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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