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
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Recent Examples of racketeers
Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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
-
There may have been some male suitors but never any who were gangsters.—
Nathan Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
He was freed on supervised release in May 2020, but quickly broke that pledge, chowing down with his fellow Colombo gangsters at the legendary Brennan and Carr restaurant that November to discuss the crime family’s future, and their labor union shakedown scheme.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Actively inserting yourself into and attempting to stymie federal law enforcement or barging into a church, as some of these thugs did in Minneapolis, is hindering law enforcement and trespassing, respectively.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Eager to have his cake and eat it too, Benedict blackmails Sophie into taking a job with his mother.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Donald wins the governor’s race, but Lee blackmails him into signing over his family’s land to the Osage Nation in memory of his late brother.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
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
Verb
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The Sooners have made three of their four shots from behind the arc, including one from Nijel Pack that forces a Sean Miller timeout.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
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This also forces soldiers wearing the suits to perform exaggerated, awkward movements to stay on their feet.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Verb
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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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If a dealer pressures you to use a payment that offers no recourse in cases of fraud, walk away.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
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Unnerved by his son’s reverence, Big Ant keeps his distance from the boy and subtly pressures him to toughen up and abandon his artistic pursuits.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Racketeers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racketeers. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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