as in squeezing
to get (as money) by the use of force or threats
a school bully who was used to extorting lunch money from weaker kids
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Recent Examples of extorting
Dozens of armed groups run rampant in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, extorting businesses, kidnapping people and driving farmers off their land.
—
Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
The official reports into that incident show that Epstein initially told prison officials that his cellmate had tried to kill him after extorting him for money.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
There had been tension between Bo Nagar’s force and the local PDF units since last year over his BNRA fighters allegedly extorting money at road checkpoints.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Hayley — who turns out to be a hooker who does secretarial admin on the side and not an executive assistant who occasionally threesomes — is extorting him for $750,000.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Bandit gangs control entire districts, extorting protection money from communities in cash or kind, killing those that resist.
—Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Instead of extorting money to decrypt data in a company’s own system, an attacker can just threaten to release sensitive data if the ransom isn’t paid.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
After a relative suffered an accident, the cops who responded ended up extorting money from him, Ramírez said.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
The couple allegedly asked customers’ family members to send original passports to them and then frequently refused to return the passports unless customers paid hundreds of dollars more, effectively extorting them, Ellison’s office said.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 22 Dec. 2025
Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
The official reports into that incident show that Epstein initially told prison officials that his cellmate had tried to kill him after extorting him for money.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
There had been tension between Bo Nagar’s force and the local PDF units since last year over his BNRA fighters allegedly extorting money at road checkpoints.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Hayley — who turns out to be a hooker who does secretarial admin on the side and not an executive assistant who occasionally threesomes — is extorting him for $750,000.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Bandit gangs control entire districts, extorting protection money from communities in cash or kind, killing those that resist.
—Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Instead of extorting money to decrypt data in a company’s own system, an attacker can just threaten to release sensitive data if the ransom isn’t paid.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
After a relative suffered an accident, the cops who responded ended up extorting money from him, Ramírez said.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
The couple allegedly asked customers’ family members to send original passports to them and then frequently refused to return the passports unless customers paid hundreds of dollars more, effectively extorting them, Ellison’s office said.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extorting
Verb
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Higher oil prices have sharply increased operating expenses for shipping firms, squeezing margins and forcing governments, including Hong Kong, to step in with temporary support.—
Lee Ying Shan,Emily Tan,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
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At the same time, China has rapidly expanded capacity in its drive to become more self-sufficient, contributing to a global glut of product and squeezing European companies.—
Marilen Martin,
Bloomberg,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Prior to his 2011 conviction, Jeffs was charged and convicted of being an accomplice to rape in September 2007 after coercing a 14-year-old to marry her 19-year-old cousin, though the ruling was later overturned by the Utah Supreme Court over faulty jury instructions, according to CBS News.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
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Indonesia responded the following day by coercing the UDT and APODETI, among others, into issuing and signing the Balibo Declaration, which proclaimed the integration of East Timor into Indonesia.—
Agathe Demarolle,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Across the way, skateboarders do their thing on the Neighbors Skate Shop ramp, flipping and flexing, making sculptures out of their bodies in midair, while others double-dutch or Hula-Hoop in exacting harmony.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
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Some parents believe that enacting rules and exacting discipline helps maintain order in the home, and may think this approach will allow their children to thrive beyond it, too.—
Kelley King Heyworth,
Parents,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This single-seater is powered by the same 1,350cc 75-degree V-twin mill from the 1390 platform that makes a neck-wringing 187 hp and 106 lb-ft (145 Nm) of torque.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Apr. 2026
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Back button hijacking is a way of wringing more pageviews out of visitors.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In Grand Prairie in 2020, a natural gas leak ignited under a roadway, resulting in a fireball and forcing nearby evacuations.—
Lexi Salazar,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Higher oil prices are straining import-dependent economies, while currency volatility is forcing some central banks to intervene more actively in foreign exchange markets, said market watchers.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Companies bracing for higher energy costs are already wresting with tariffs, inflation and bigger labor costs.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Trotsky hurled items from the desk at Mercader before wresting the ice pick from his grip.—
Josh Ireland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extorting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extorting. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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