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
These groups are extorting fleeing civilians for safe passage, Saraf claims.
—
Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
He is also accused of extorting an unnamed person to collect gambling debts in 2023.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2025
Nearly a billion records were stolen across dozens of organizations, and now cybercriminals are extorting victims by threatening to publish the data unless hefty ransoms are paid.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
And in response, the Maduro regime is extorting them by holding their nationals in prison and forcing them to engage with the Maduro regime for their release.
—Manuel Rueda, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
The student at Fieldstone Middle School in Stony Point in the New York City metropolitan area was accused of extorting classmates under the age of 16 using explicit material to get gift cards or more explicit content.
—Nancy Cutler, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
Google also stated that ShinyHunters commonly uses an attack tactic of extorting victims using emails or telephone calls demanding bitcoin ransom payments within 72 hours of compromise.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
He was charged in May 2024 with extorting contractors on school construction projects and then accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from those companies.
—Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2025
Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
He is also accused of extorting an unnamed person to collect gambling debts in 2023.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2025
Nearly a billion records were stolen across dozens of organizations, and now cybercriminals are extorting victims by threatening to publish the data unless hefty ransoms are paid.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
And in response, the Maduro regime is extorting them by holding their nationals in prison and forcing them to engage with the Maduro regime for their release.
—Manuel Rueda, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
The student at Fieldstone Middle School in Stony Point in the New York City metropolitan area was accused of extorting classmates under the age of 16 using explicit material to get gift cards or more explicit content.
—Nancy Cutler, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
Google also stated that ShinyHunters commonly uses an attack tactic of extorting victims using emails or telephone calls demanding bitcoin ransom payments within 72 hours of compromise.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
He was charged in May 2024 with extorting contractors on school construction projects and then accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from those companies.
—Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extorting
Verb
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The Bagail 6-piece Compression Packing Cube Set is just $19 and a game-changer for squeezing extra outfits into a carry-on.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
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To check for ripeness, start by squeezing the fruit—ripe mangos should give slightly under pressure without feeling overly soft or mushy.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The lawsuit accused the company of coercing customers into signing agreements that allowed the company to act as the exclusive real estate listing agent for an undisclosed period of time.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Nov. 2025
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In one recent case, a 22-year-old man used Discord to prey on victims as young as 12 years old, coercing them into creating explicit content.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Pulling it off would require trips to three different grocery stores and untold hours of exacting, minute tasks.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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The government shutdown is exacting a heavy mental toll on the nation’s military families, leaving them not knowing from week to week whether their paychecks will arrive.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic’s steep terrain will force air upward, wringing out more moisture from the storm, just like squeezing a wet sponge, turning tropical humidity into torrents racing downhill.—
Chris Dolce,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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For the past several years, writers and pundits have been wringing their hands over how few men are supposedly writing and reading fiction today.—
Robert Rubsam,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bloomberg | Getty Images Private equity fund managers are bracing for a wave of consolidation as investors demand higher returns and stronger governance, forcing a shakeout in an overcrowded industry, several industry veterans said at a high-level finance summit in Hong Kong on Tuesday.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
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The reductions announced on Wednesday could cause even more disruption, forcing airlines to cancel or reschedule thousands of flights per day.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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If elections are more about wresting power from the other side, how does our country move forward?—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
6 Nov. 2025
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The state and federal governments argued that NEPA does not apply to the state, and the appellate court agreed with them, suspending the lower court’s decision pending arguments on the merits of the appeal and wresting the case from District Judge Kathleen Williams until the appeal is resolved.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Extorting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extorting. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.
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