as in gangster
a person who gets money from another by using force or threats
extortioners threatened to beat up the shop owner if he didn't pay the bribe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extortioner
Noun
-
That’s before Morgan steals a necklace from a chintzy gift shop run by a Turkish gangster named Yusuf, who proceeds to kidnap the pair, intimidate them at gunpoint, and threaten their family, forcing them to perform an array of odd jobs to make up for the petty theft.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026 -
Longtime collaborators Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro reunited for this 2019 gangster epic, about the real-life hitman Frank Sheeran and his experiences working for the Mafia.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pinell’s second film after Kiss and Cry, Shana stars her regular collaborator Éva Huault as a woman in her thirties navigating dead-end jobs, drug deals and an impossible relationship with a toxic thug, Moïse.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the religious gestapo thugs who ran the country were not only committed in the name of Allah to destroying Israel, the Little Satan, and the United States, the Big Satan, but western civilization as well.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The movie follows Reef Hawk (Keanu Reeves), an A-list Hollywood star and recovering addict who fears the destruction of his reputation when a mysterious extortionist threatens to release a damaging video of him.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Several customers, a Miami-Dade judge and now the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services say Thompson’s a fraudulent, bait-and-switch extortionist.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
On advice of his crisis lawyer Ira Slitz (Hill, unrecognizable with a bald head and gray beard), Reef sets out to apologize to everyone from his past who may be angry with him in an effort to find the blackmailer.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In Season 2, eager to take on another big undercover case, Charles Nieuwendyk (Danson) gets his chance when a mysterious blackmailer targets Wheeler College president Jack Berenger (Max Greenfield), who enlists Charles to go undercover as a professor.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The characters were based on a real family of bookmakers and racketeers who once lived in England.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
In September 2023, the group was charged with violation of the racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act, commonly known as a RICO case.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Extortioner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extortioner. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
