extort

[ik-stawrt] / ɪkˈstɔrt /

VERB

cheat; blackmail

Synonyms

STRONGEST

coerce elicit exact extract wrest wring

STRONG

bleed bully clip demand educe evince fleece force get gouge ice milk obtain pinch secure skin soak squeeze stick sting

WEAK

hold up make pay through nose pull one's leg put screws to put the arm on shake down

Antonyms

STRONG

forfeit give let go loosen lose offer surrender yield

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.

This means the agency will no longer extort defendants into silence.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

There in Africa, smugglers link up with al Qaeda-affiliated groups that escort the cargoes north and extort payments from the overland convoys, said current and former rebel leaders in northern Mali.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025

DragonForce want the BBC to report the hack - they are apparently trying to extort the company for money.

From BBC • May 2, 2025

They can certainly extort a painful price from the world while trying to, and the full reckoning may be more than we can bear.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2025

But again he didn’t comply, evidently determined to extort money and obstruct justice.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Vocabulary lists containing extort

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