as in gangsters
a person who gets money from another by using force or threats
tortured by a gang of extortionists into revealing the combination for the money vault
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Recent Examples of extortionists
As the bomb squad works to disarm it, FBI rushes to catch the extortionists.
—
William Earl, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
These kinds of sweeping outages are typically the result either of ransomware attacks, where online extortionists paralyse corporate networks in the hope of payment, or deliberate sabotage.
—Reuters, NBC news, 20 Sep. 2025
These kinds of sweeping outages are typically the result either of ransomware attacks, where online extortionists paralyze corporate networks in the hope of payment, or deliberate digital sabotage.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Combined with other high-tech attacks, such as deepfake phishing attempts, AI agents will create new and potentially highly problematic avenues of attack for hackers, fraudsters and extortionists.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
William Earl, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
These kinds of sweeping outages are typically the result either of ransomware attacks, where online extortionists paralyse corporate networks in the hope of payment, or deliberate sabotage.
—Reuters, NBC news, 20 Sep. 2025
These kinds of sweeping outages are typically the result either of ransomware attacks, where online extortionists paralyze corporate networks in the hope of payment, or deliberate digital sabotage.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Combined with other high-tech attacks, such as deepfake phishing attempts, AI agents will create new and potentially highly problematic avenues of attack for hackers, fraudsters and extortionists.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extortionists
Noun
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In every revolution, there are gangsters.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
28 May 2026
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But when the pair decides to let Rotta go instead, Mando is captured by the bounty hunter Embo as punishment for double-crossing the slimy galactic gangsters, prompting Grogu (and a bunch of ridiculously cute Anzellans) to set out on an adventure to rescue him.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 May 2026
Noun
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The masked thugs deposit a tearful middle-aged woman in front of Bass, Newsom, and Harris.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
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White thugs destroyed it in the 1921 Race Massacre.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Despite paying off blackmailers and marrying Lady Olivia Hedges (Danielle Galligan) to protect his secret, Arthur still loses his father’s Parliament seat after getting caught committing election fraud.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
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Grandchildren are being summoned to help grandparents deal with blackmailers.—
Yvonne Zipp,
Christian Science Monitor,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The characters were based on a real family of bookmakers and racketeers who once lived in England.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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When Ferrara was starting out, private investment in low-budget films was spurred by tax loopholes, a way for doctors, dentists, and racketeers to get rid of extra cash that would otherwise wind up in Uncle Sam’s grubby mitts.—
Nick Pinkerton,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Extortionists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extortionists. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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