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
Another major takedown took place in 2023 when a court convicted 207 members of the 'Ndrangheta family for a variety of charges ranging from drug trafficking to extortion.
—
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
The statement claims the boy was involved in at least 120 cyberattacks, including on the US courtd system, and the extortion of dozens of US companies.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2025
So are tax rebates just mutually beneficial business deals, unsavory kickbacks or legal extortion?
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, attackers are busy too, using AI to polish phishing lures, generate deepfakes and even script parts of data extortion campaigns.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
The statement claims the boy was involved in at least 120 cyberattacks, including on the US courtd system, and the extortion of dozens of US companies.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2025
So are tax rebates just mutually beneficial business deals, unsavory kickbacks or legal extortion?
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, attackers are busy too, using AI to polish phishing lures, generate deepfakes and even script parts of data extortion campaigns.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extortion
Noun
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People make close, intense bonds when stuck in the Big Brother house together, and Vince and Morgan’s dynamic crosses more lines with each passing day, emotional cheating threatening to tip into physical even as Vince continues to hopelessly cloak his feelings in flimsy analogies and code phrases.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
27 Sep. 2025
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Emotional cheating occurs when someone develops a strong connection with someone other than their committed partner, leading to them sharing intimate thoughts, feelings and experiences, Sara Kuburic, a psychotherapist, previously wrote in USA TODAY.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Even if what Weyland-Yutani has is blood-sucking, eye-gouging, and chest-bursting alien monsters.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Extortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extortion. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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