extorting

verb

present participle of extort
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 extorting 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 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 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 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 report describes Indigenous patrols in Venezuela allegedly working alongside armed groups controlling mining areas and extorting workers along river routes. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 13 May 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 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 In April of that year, Michael Spilotro and a third brother, Victor, were charged with extorting money from two businesses associated with prostitution and using violence to enforce their demands, UPI reported at the time. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extorting
  1. squeezing
  2. coercing
  3. exacting
  4. wringing
  5. forcing
  6. wresting
Verb
  • The same rules reshaping the car are squeezing the independent aftermarket out of the picture.
    — Sarwant Singh, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Energy prices soared, squeezing Americans already frustrated by the high cost of living.
    — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • Travis Reed, who was a fire captain with the now-defunct Briar Volunteer Fire Department, admitted to coercing a minor into producing child pornography in September, according to a summary of facts in the case.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2026
  • The Justice Against Weaponized Bureaucratic Overreach to Networked Expression Act would prohibit federal agencies and employees from coercing or trying to coerce broadcasters and providers of online services or AI services into changing content.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 June 2026
Definition of coercing
Verb
  • The inspectors tested hundreds of exacting standards, with an emphasis on exceptional service, which accounts for 70% of a property’s rating.
    — Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • Back in his coaching career, Cruyff was one of the first managers to be obsessed with the cut of the pitch — a trait that has passed over to his disciples, most notably the exacting Pep Guardiola.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of exacting
Verb
  • The United States holds both at once, working the longer year and wringing more from every hour of it.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The washable or disposable pads are also far less time-consuming than repeatedly wringing out cumbersome mop heads.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026
Definition of wringing
Verb
  • When Khomeini’s coffin began moving in a convoy, mourners surged towards it, causing a crowd crush and forcing the funeral procession to be abandoned, according to ISNA.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • This transformed the laser from a simple heat source into a microscopic stirring tool, actively forcing the molten metals to blend right before solidification.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026
Definition of forcing
Verb
  • In his first bout at 170 pounds, Makhachev cruised to a decision win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November 2025, easily wresting the UFC welterweight crown from Della Maddalena.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • But skeptics of Elliott’s plans say there is little precedent in the modern era of municipalities, or even states, wresting control from private for-profit utilities.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026
Definition of wresting

Browse Nearby Words

extorted
extorting
extortion
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Extorting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extorting. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on extorting

Nglish: Translation of extorting for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All