as in to threaten
to use blackmail against (someone)
The old man was being blackmailed by his nephew.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmail
Verb
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Instead, tariffs threaten to increase prices and create shortages of certain generic medications, which account for a vast majority of U.S. prescriptions.—
Rebecca Robbins,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025 -
Lago responded by threatening legal action against Corben.—
Tess Riski,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This 2019 retread attempts to squeeze that same emotional response out of viewers, simply by recreating every frame through photorealistic CGI.—
Staff Author,
EW.com,
22 Mar. 2025
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But skyrocketing home prices and stubbornly high mortgage rates in the past few years have squeezed many buyers to the sidelines of the market, raising concerns that this year will see a nationwide drop in sales even during the spring homebuying season.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Ultimately, the league’s decision-making on NBA expansion will be driven by a combination of market size, media presence, economic factors, and ownership interest.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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With Frank Zappa and the Beatles blasting from the speakers, Kwong would drive his trusty Volvo wagon up U.S. Highway 395.—
Rachel Ng,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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He’s accused of extorting and defrauding a 72-year-old Newton woman out of more than $480,000.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
25 Mar. 2025
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Several public schools reported days ago that they were being extorted by criminals, prompting them to propose virtual classes, according to state television station TV Perú.—
Michael Rios,
CNN,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The latter film centers on Billy Brown (Vincent Gallo), who was recently released from prison and returns to his hometown with a desperate need to impress his parents.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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Doherty says Cooper — who makes his acting debut in the series — impressed her.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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She was sentenced in federal court in Boston to four years in prison for charges of coercing people to engage in prostitution and money laundering conspiracy.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2025
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Experts say this is a potentially serious counterintelligence problem that could allow foreign intelligence services to gain insight into a target’s social network or even identify individuals who could be paid or coerced to act against them.—
Dhruv Mehrotra,
Wired News,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Her story forced the country to confront a flawed legal system and the cultural discomfort with women who challenged it.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Learning to slow down was important because playing and touring almost non-stop for a decade forced us to not do so well at managing our (bodies and lives), which led to us all burning ourselves out.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Blackmail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmail. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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