as in gangsters
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of racketeers
Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 5 Mar. 2026
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racketeers
Noun
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Theater owners cut prices and dispensed prizes to ticket buyers as the gangsters effectively cross-pollinated with the studio dance numbers.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
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Violent gangsters ran fentanyl and human smuggling over the Rio Grande.—
Ioan Grillo,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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He’s beaten by thugs with a crowbar for an unfortunate outburst, exploited by neighbors in the council estate and arrested, all because people don’t understand Tourette syndrome.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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Mayor vows to catch 'thugs who did this' Baton Rouge Mayor Sid Edwards promised that law enforcement will catch the people responsible for the violence at the mall.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But is Duncan the devil who manipulates, lies and emotionally blackmails anyone in his orbit?—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
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Something Duncan says in a session with JoAnne leads her to unload some stock, like Martha Stewart in 2004, and Duncan, working this out, blackmails her into passing on inside information from her clients to him.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 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
Verb
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In response, California Coast Credit Union had asked the court to issue an injunction, a legal ruling that forces an action, for the merger to push ahead against the objections of SDCCU.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
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According to Healthline, excess sugar in the bloodstream forces the kidneys to work overtime trying to reabsorb glucose.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
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As the bomb squad works to disarm it, FBI rushes to catch the extortionists.—
William Earl,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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One year later, the XFL muscles its way onto the national sports scene with its first two games.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Gringo Films does not sound like the kind of company that muscles its way into the global animation business.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This then pressures the Federal Reserve to finance the debt through monetary expansion, which causes inflation and drives up interest rates.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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If someone pressures you to send money immediately, treat it as a warning sign.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Racketeers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racketeers. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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