extorting

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

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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 extorting According to the complaint, DGCIM officers repeatedly beat him, fractured his back, administered electric shocks — including to his genitals — and threatened to kill him while extorting money from his wife. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 Across the globe, prosecutors said, the organizations preyed on lower-income members of the Indian community, either pressing them into service of the gangs or extorting them. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 He was arrested again, less than a year later, in September 2019 on an indictment charging him with extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from prospective marijuana vendors looking to do business in the city, and even his own staff. Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 6 July 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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extorting
Verb
  • McGurk argued that, if the return of the hostages was the only way to end the war, then publicly squeezing Israel to protect civilians could paradoxically prolong the fighting, resulting in more Palestinian deaths.
    David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • De la Fuente’s forwards press aggressively, while centre-backs Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte hold a high defensive line, squeezing the pitch and pinning their opponents back.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026
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
Verb
  • Forty years later, Wednesday, England was mere minutes from exacting payback at last.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • What unified his work, across subjects, was what the French call le glacis de la lumière—a polished, technically exacting finish.
    Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • But while Erling Haaland and his band of striking Vikings have taken the 2026 World Cup by storm, Norwegian sports officials have been wringing their hands about the future of the nation’s sports model.
    Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 10 July 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • In an attempt to prevent the demonstration from entering Gaza,the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared the area a closed military zone, forcing organizers to alter the route.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Rivero must connect those systems without forcing restaurants, wineries and bars into the same operating model.
    Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Verb
  • The Smithsonian Institution, which oversees twenty-one museums, among other establishments, operates independently from the executive branch of the government, which makes wresting control over it more difficult.
    News Desk, Artforum, 15 July 2026
  • 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, 4 July 2026

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“Extorting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extorting. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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