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 January 2025, Baldoni and Wayfarer filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times, over claims of civil extortion, defamation and false light.
—
Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 16 June 2026
That started a months-long extortion effort.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026
Jay Clayton alleged at the time that the gang is responsible for countless acts of violence, extortion and drug trafficking in North America, South America and Europe.
—Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
Google has confirmed that victims are receiving extortion demands.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 16 June 2026
That started a months-long extortion effort.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026
Jay Clayton alleged at the time that the gang is responsible for countless acts of violence, extortion and drug trafficking in North America, South America and Europe.
—Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
Google has confirmed that victims are receiving extortion demands.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for extortion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extortion
Noun
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Other research on high school cheating found in 2020 that 64% of 70,000 high school students across the country admitted to cheating on a test, and 58% admitted to plagiarism.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
17 June 2026
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Whatever romance Rodrigo is tracing the history of apparently did not end in cheating or any other horrible behavior that would lead her back toward the kind of recriminatory rockers that were among the previous albums’ highlights.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Noun
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But the buildup to America’s first time hosting the World Cup since 1994 has been nonstop controversy, from exorbitant ticket cost and price-gouging for public transportation to our country’s far-right immigration policies scaring away many would-be visitors.—
Greg Cote
June 10,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
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The ancient Greek sport of pankration employed techniques from the more structured disciplines of boxing and wrestling, with no rules except for prohibitions on eye-gouging and biting.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
28 May 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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Dish only had to agree to stop overcharging subscribers.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Extortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extortion. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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