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
While there was no immediate threat to travelers’ physical safety, the perpetrators likely aimed to steal sensitive data for extortion, the FBI said.
—
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
However, the family was confronted with extortion and exploitation at the gravesite.
—NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Tompkins, 67, of Boston, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of extortion under color of official right.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
In June, a federal judge tossed out Baldoni’s Freedman-filed $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit against Lively, her publicist and The New York Times, which detailed the actress’ claims.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
However, the family was confronted with extortion and exploitation at the gravesite.
—NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Tompkins, 67, of Boston, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of extortion under color of official right.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
In June, a federal judge tossed out Baldoni’s Freedman-filed $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit against Lively, her publicist and The New York Times, which detailed the actress’ claims.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extortion
Noun
-
These defendants, which include former professional athletes, used high-tech cheating technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games that were secretly fixed.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Naroditsky, whose cause of death has not been made public, had vigorously denied cheating, and other chess champions agreed the claims were baseless.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The only tactics barred were eye gouging, groin strikes, and biting, none of which was especially policed.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Even if what Weyland-Yutani has is blood-sucking, eye-gouging, and chest-bursting alien monsters.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But in January, Axon CEO and billionaire cofounder Rick Smith killed their deal, accusing Flock of overcharging and trying to lock customers into its products.—
Thomas Brewster,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Normally, the ions slip between the atomic layers of the anode, a process called intercalation, but when the space between the layers is all filled up—as can happen during overcharging—there’s nowhere else for the lithium to go but onto the surface.—
Weiyang Li,
IEEE Spectrum,
23 Aug. 2018
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
Cite this Entry
“Extortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extortion. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share