RACKETEER Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

racketeer 1 of 2

noun

ˌra-kə-ˈtir

Definition of racketeer

as in gangster

a person who gets money from another by using force or threats the racketeer threatened to have his thugs vandalize the shop if the shopkeeper didn't pay him a monthly bribe

Synonyms & Similar Words

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racketeer

2 of 2

verb

as in to blackmail

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 racketeer

Noun

In a police photograph, Lansky stood next to racketeer Charles (Lucky) Luciano. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025 Oh yeah, this relationship with this 38-year-old racketeer is so beautiful. — Michael Cuby, Them, 1 Aug. 2024

Verb

Each man pleaded guilty to racketeering enterprise conspiracy, or RICO, charges that were brought last September as the third indictment in a sweeping MS-13 case first opened in 2017. — Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 15 July 2025 The case for racketeering conspiracy Prosecutors’ toughest challenge will likely be securing a conviction on the racketeering conspiracy charge, experts agreed, citing its complexity and the novelty of its application in the Combs case. — Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for racketeer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for racketeer

Noun

British gangsters colliding with the Italian Mafia just feels so right for our world.

— Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Sep. 2026
One kid wants to make a supernatural fantasy, another a gangster movie, another a boxing movie.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of gangster

Verb

Assassination-for-hire is the tragicomic domain of people looking for someone to kill a spouse or a rival but getting blackmailed by teenagers pretending to be hit men in the process.

— Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Petersen said at the time that the city was giving in to blackmail from the business community.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of blackmail

Noun

On a cold night in November 2011, in a field outside Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, a gang of thugs stormed a Soviet scientific research institute, beat and humiliated the staff and burned the place to the ground.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Meanwhile, Kyle and his usual pair of special-forces thugs track down a suspiciously large plane (as in, big enough to fly across the Atlantic) and an equally suspicious flight manifest.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of thug

Noun

Apple’s decision to briefly remove Telegram from the App Store has been blamed on a blackmailer duping the company into executing a takedown, according to Telegram’s CEO.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
The blackmailer continues to call her, demanding money in exchange for keeping her cam-boy secrets.

— Erin Qualey, Vulture, 29 May 2026

Definition of blackmailer

Verb

Apopka continues its rebuilding stage but watch out for big defensive lineman Demetri Tarpley, who is 6-3 and has muscled up to 305 pounds with an offseason program.

— Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
The action spilled to the outside, and Wagner muscled Dragon Lee back into the ring with a powerbomb.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of muscle

Noun

There still will be scammers, extortionists, extremists and others who try to take advantage of teens and adults.

— Larry Magid, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
As bomb technicians struggled to disarm the explosive, the FBI raced against the clock to deliver the ransom while simultaneously hunting the extortionists.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of extortionist

Verb

His brother Tristan was an accessory, the unit said, using physical aggression to coerce the victim.

— Reuters, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Starting in January, Cohen began making his claims about being coerced into working with the prosecution in the New York case.

— Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of coerce

Browse Nearby Words

racketed

racketeer

racketeered

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Style

“Racketeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racketeer. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of racketeer

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

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