as in cheating
the exaction of a grossly excessive charge for goods or services
six dollars for a cup of coffee is just plain extortion
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 extortion
The details of her role in a kidnapping and extortion scheme that landed her in jail for nearly one month have been outlined in Cop Without a Badge, a true-crime book written by Charles Kipps about Staub's ex-husband, Kevin Maher (the same book that caused Teresa to flip a table during season 1).
—
Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Washington has intensified its crackdown on the Cartel del Noreste - heir to the former Zetas - which has been accused of trafficking weapons, drugs and people, and is characterized by its violent practices and extortion.
—CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Many taxpayers view threats of anteing up or losing a team as legal extortion.
—Steve Doerschuk, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Washington has intensified its crackdown on the Cartel del Noreste — heir to the former Zetas — which has been accused of trafficking weapons, drugs and people, and is characterized by its violent practices and extortion.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Washington has intensified its crackdown on the Cartel del Noreste - heir to the former Zetas - which has been accused of trafficking weapons, drugs and people, and is characterized by its violent practices and extortion.
—CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Many taxpayers view threats of anteing up or losing a team as legal extortion.
—Steve Doerschuk, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Washington has intensified its crackdown on the Cartel del Noreste — heir to the former Zetas — which has been accused of trafficking weapons, drugs and people, and is characterized by its violent practices and extortion.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extortion
Noun
-
But even for in-person classes, adaptations to prevent LLM cheating are often concessions that reduce pedagogical quality.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Time and again, the panel of experts invited to provide testimony said voter fraud is exceedingly rare and that there is no evidence of widespread cheating.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
President Lee Jae Myung also advised his government to crack down on oil refinery companies and gas stations to prevent price-gouging while making efforts to secure supply ships that do not pass through the Strait of Hormuz.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The public better wake up, because the creativity of the MTA, and Hochul’s gouging of a disinterested and unwise public, have no limits.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Three games into his Colorado Rapids tenure, the club paying $125,000 in General Allocation Money — less than the going price of an international roster slot — is looking like highway robbery.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
14 Sep. 2025
-
This was a dangerous situation and was literally highway robbery.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
Because this was an intentional policy maneuver, rather than an accounting or process problem, and there is no guarantee that the federal government will reimburse this large amount of funds, this overcharging and accrual of unpaid federal funds has been flagged by DLS as a legislative issue.—
Steve Arentz,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2026
-
While that’s substantial, even a much larger overcharging estimate on the part of PBMs would be a far cry from the $38 trillion national debt.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extortion. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
