racketeering 1 of 2

noun

as in gangsterism

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racketeering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of racketeer
as in extorting

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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 racketeering
Noun
If convicted, Henley could face up to life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy count. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 Other lower-level gang members with Mexican Mafia ties already have been convicted as part of the larger, ongoing racketeering case, including three men found guilty of a 2017 killing in Orange. — Sean Emery, Oc Register, 22 July 2026 Ashley and Michael Ketcherside, who are married, are charged with participating in an enterprise through racketeering and money laundering of more than $150,000 but less than $300,000. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026 Brian Steel, who represented Young Thug at his racketeering trial in Atlanta, recently joined Banks’ legal team and sat at the defense table Tuesday. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026 Ryan was convicted in 2006 on 18 felony counts, including racketeering conspiracy, tax and mail fraud and lying to the FBI. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026 Years of allegations and complaints culminated in a 2015 Justice Department indictment of several top soccer officials on charges including racketeering, wire fraud, and money-laundering conspiracies. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General said in a press release that eight defendants pleaded guilty to charges related to racketeering, gambling and money laundering. — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 In June 1986, Tony Spilotro was set to face a new trial on a racketeering charge connected to the Hole in the Wall Gang and its burglaries. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racketeering
  1. gangsterism
  2. extorting
  3. malfeasance
  4. blackmailing
  5. criminality
  6. coercing
  7. misconduct
  8. wresting
Noun
  • Plot summary The movie is set in Chicago in the 1930s, a time of economic deprivation and bold gangsterism and outlawry.
    — Alison Eldridge, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of gangsterism
Verb
  • Evil, jealous and cruel men like Fountain will use anything to control their victims including extorting them with their most personal and emotional memories.
    — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • According to the complaint, DGCIM officers repeatedly beat him, fractured his back, administered electric shocks — including to his genitals — and threatened to kill him while extorting money from his wife.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Definition of extorting
Noun
  • Experts have identified three possible cases of gambling malfeasance from the 2026 World Cup.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • So far no concrete evidence has surfaced indicating malfeasance within the Justice Department in not filing charges.
    — Justin Fishel, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of malfeasance
Verb
  • In the past, models from OpenAI and other providers were theoretically shown to be capable of blackmailing users to prevent shutdowns.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 20 July 2026
  • But when a mysterious stranger begins blackmailing Neve, she is forced to compromise every legal, moral, and ethical obligation to gain an acquittal — or else risk her dark secrets being exposed.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 15 July 2026
Definition of blackmailing
Noun
  • From self-sufficient campaigns to opportunistic criminality Defenders used individual incidents, such as supply chain intrusions, ransomware outbreaks, and phishing waves, to quantify risk for the most of the past ten years.
    — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • These programs are laudable, certainly beneficial for some people, but overall are of limited effect even in reducing recidivism, let alone dealing with the conditions that generate criminality in the first place.
    — Ronald J. Allen, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
Definition of criminality
Verb
  • The losses exceed the number of fresh recruits that Moscow can muster, and Russian authorities are coercing men into signing up.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Anna’s colleague Noa Toussaint (CCH Pounder) follows with a video of Max coercing his mistress into suicide, shattering the narrative that bought his freedom.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026
Definition of coercing
Noun
  • And third, judges can remove that person for serious misconduct.
    — Reid Kress Weisbord, Fortune, 31 July 2026
  • For more than a year, California school administrators have lobbied lawmakers for a better way to protect students from those with a history of misconduct.
    — Holly McDede, ProPublica, 31 July 2026
Definition of misconduct
Verb
  • The asset management giant proposed operating the airport, too, wresting control away from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and taking its revenues.
    — Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 28 July 2026
  • French police rounded up thousands of Jews over two days in July 1942, wresting children from their mothers’ arms and dispatching everyone to Nazi death camps.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of wresting

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Cite this Entry

“Racketeering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racketeering. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on racketeering

Nglish: Translation of racketeering for Spanish Speakers

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