blackmail

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

J. Edgar Hoover, who led the FBI for 48 years, had established a personal fiefdom devoted to consolidating power and pursuing his own personal obsessions, sometimes with blackmail and coercion.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

In an earlier simulation, Anthropic showed that Claude and other AI models were at times willing to blackmail users—or even let an executive die in a hot server room—in order to avoid deactivation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

Magyar accused Fidesz of trying to blackmail him and made three allegations of unlawful conduct in a statement on Friday.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

And they’ll learn that their secret is not completely secure when blackmail notes begin to arrive — at which point the series becomes a mystery.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

Three times Sammy drove past the water tower on St. Catherine’s Island to make sure that no one was lying in wait to apprehend the author of the blackmail note.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy