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extortion

noun

ik-ˈstȯr-shən How to pronounce extortion (audio)
Definition of extortionnext
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

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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 extortion But murder and extortion rates have proved stubborn, and many are now demanding more-radical methods. — Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026 Federal prosecutors collected the text messages, emails, bank withdrawals and deposits, and confessions of Diamantis accomplices in his bribery and extortion scheme. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026 Diamantis was found guilty in October 2025 on 21 counts of bribery and extortion, CBS affiliate WFSB-TV reported. — CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 Reports of extortion rose from 2,421 in 2019 to 26,734 in 2025, according to official data. — Matthew Lee, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for extortion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extortion
  1. cheating
  2. gouging
  3. highway robbery
  4. fleecing
  5. overcharging
Noun
  • Now there seems to be a petty attempt to call out cheating when no cheating took place.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Almost a quarter of the agents (24%) refused to cheat and tried to alert others to the cheating in the hopes of stopping it.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of cheating
Noun
  • For Abbott and for Ken Paxton, who beat Cornyn in an eye-gouging, rabbit-punching Republican Senate primary, the answer was, for all intents, the latter.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Other advantages include the fact that ownership of compute may reduce dependency on price fluctuations and gouging.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Definition of gouging
Noun
  • In March 1829, he was convicted in London on two counts of highway robbery and sentenced to fourteen years.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of highway robbery
Noun
  • 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
Definition of fleecing
Noun
  • That overcharging could prompt the system to shut down the car’s electric drive system and result in a loss of drive power.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Tourists should also be aware of overcharging and scams from aggressive vendors.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Definition of overcharging

Browse Nearby Words

extorting
extortion
extortionately
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Cite this Entry

“Extortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extortion. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on extortion

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about extortion

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