extorted

verb

past tense of extort
as in exacted
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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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 extorted Clement later successfully extorted one of Roshanki’s friends for $5,000 in drug proceeds, then insisted that Roshanski owed him money for drugs and fraud. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026 The police chief allegedly extorted the victim and the victim’s father in connection with the pending murder case. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 The necessity of it to my defence against a more heinous charge could alone have extorted from me so painful an indecorum. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 June 2026 Richards attained fame as a pioneering male supermodel in major ad campaigns by the likes of Bruce Weber, Richard Avedon, and Helmut Newton, but all along he was being extorted and exploited by Mierers and his followers to bolster (and bankroll) their shaky, pseudoscientific philosophy. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 June 2026 Cutaia, who has a criminal record dating back to the 1990s, extorted two businessmen starting in 2023 — even before his release from federal prison at the end of his 15-year sentence. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026 But Ancel Glink representatives said Odelson, Murphey, Frazier and McGrath overstepped by petitioning to represent Calumet City in both a labor dispute and a lawsuit where a former employee claims Jones extorted him and wrongfully terminated his employment. — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026 Kraken, one of the world’s oldest crypto exchanges, said it’s being extorted by a criminal group that claims to have access to some client account information. — Olga Kharif, Bloomberg, 13 Apr. 2026 At least three organizations have been extorted and suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages after proprietary information was posted online by IT workers. — Lisa Cavazuti, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extorted
  1. exacted
  2. coerced
  3. squeezed
  4. wrung
  5. wrested
  6. forced
  7. fleeced
Verb
  • The war has exacted a toll on their economies and shattered illusions about their security.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The sweeping defeat exacted by Democrats on Tuesday is a stinging rebuke to those efforts, says Colette Delawalla, founder and CEO of advocacy group Stand Up for Science.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of exacted
Verb
  • He was acquitted at a 2019 retrial, where one of the victims and a co-defendant testified that their earlier statements implicating him had been coerced by a then-homicide detective.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • But if one spouse was coerced into participating or the arbitrator exceeded the authority the couple had agreed to give them, a court could set the decision aside.
    — Asma Uddin, The Conversation, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of coerced
Verb
  • This business, which covers the manufacture and distribution of medical, surgical and lab products (rather than drugs), had faced pressure from tariffs and now is being squeezed by elevated petroleum costs.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Bake potato halves until very tender when squeezed and skin is wrinkled and crisp, 20–25 minutes.
    — Kelsey Jane Youngman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of squeezed
Verb
  • The electricity had been gone for hours and the summer heat wrung sweat out of everyone in the room.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Centrist Democrats have wrung their hands about the potential vulnerabilities of left-wing candidates like El-Sayed running in battleground states, and El-Sayed has been straining to unite the Democratic base in Michigan.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrung
Verb
  • One of Indian democracy’s great achievements is that even its poorest citizens have proved adept at recognizing when the power of their vote is being wrested away, gauging the consequences and organizing to resist.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The report also stated that Saudi Arabia has ruled out negotiations until the strait has been wrested from Houthi control.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrested
Verb
  • Surveillance video showed Singh being forced into a white SUV by three men, officials said.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Jayhawks’ defense forces early UCF turnover The Jayhawks’ defense forced a pivotal turnover on UCF’s first play from scrimmage.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of forced
Verb
  • The text is written on parchment made from sheep, fleeced, their hides soaked in lime, stretched and dried.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • As an example of money wasted by LAHSA’s lack of financial controls, Turner cited the recent federal indictment alleging a homeless services provider fleeced the system of $23 million in fraudulent billings.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fleeced

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Cite this Entry

“Extorted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extorted. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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