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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of extortion
In March, federal authorities arrested a dozen members and associates of the 18th Street gang on indictments alleging murder, extortion and drug trafficking.
—
Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Statista reported that more than US $10 trillion is spent annually repairing the damage caused by cybercrime, most commonly phishing, spoofing, extortion, and data breaches.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2026
Over the weekend, Instructure was hacked by ShinyHunters, a criminal extortion group that’s also been linked to data breaches at three Ivy League institutions in late 2025.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026
His actions suggest a pattern of behavior that could have exposed him to blackmail or extortion, said Emma Davidson Tribbs, a founding director of the National Women’s Defense League.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Statista reported that more than US $10 trillion is spent annually repairing the damage caused by cybercrime, most commonly phishing, spoofing, extortion, and data breaches.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2026
Over the weekend, Instructure was hacked by ShinyHunters, a criminal extortion group that’s also been linked to data breaches at three Ivy League institutions in late 2025.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026
His actions suggest a pattern of behavior that could have exposed him to blackmail or extortion, said Emma Davidson Tribbs, a founding director of the National Women’s Defense League.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extortion
Noun
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But, Keoghan said, the masses primarily only saw the first video, which fueled the widespread cheating rumors about him.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
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But even for in-person classes, adaptations to prevent LLM cheating are often concessions that reduce pedagogical quality.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For its part, CF is clearly sensitive to the inevitable accusations of price-gouging.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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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
Noun
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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
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This was a dangerous situation and was literally highway robbery.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 July 2025
Noun
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Thanks to its fleecing of New Orleans during last year’s draft, Atlanta gets either the Pelicans’ or the Bucks’ first-round pick — whichever winds up higher.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Corporations have gotten away with overcharging consumers for far too long, but wages have stayed the same.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Hospital CEOs came under fire at a House hearing Tuesday, with Republicans accusing them of overcharging patients and exploiting the system.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extortion. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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