extorted; extorting; extorts
: to obtain from a person by force, intimidation, or undue or illegal power : wring
also
: to gain especially by ingenuity or compelling argument
extorter
noun
Did you know?
To extort is literally to wrench something out of someone. Extortion is a mainstay of organized crime. Just as the school bully extorts lunch money from the smaller kids in exchange for not beating them up, thugs extort "protection" money from business owners with threats of violence. But that's only one kind of extortion; a mobster might extort favors from a politician with threats of revealing some dark secret, just as you might extort a favor from a brother or sister by promising not to tell on them.
Cite this Entry
“Extort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extort. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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