blackmail

verb

Definition of blackmailnext
as in to threaten
to use blackmail against (someone) The old man was being blackmailed by his nephew.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blackmail He was never blackmailed by Epstein. — Graham Kates, CBS News, 26 June 2026 Okay, so the AI took it upon itself to blackmail the person. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 June 2026 Groff said Epstein told her again after the 2008 plea deal that he was blackmailed. — Lauren Peller, ABC News, 9 June 2026 Some students discovered the account and blackmailed Nichols into giving them better grades, the warrant states. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 In 2013, Southern Stars players were blackmailed into obeying instructions by having their salaries withheld. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 4 June 2026 Of course, Lili responds by blackmailing her, threatening to out her for accepting the principal position knowing she'd been mistakenly recruited for the job. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026 Before work, Geri heads off to question Joyce Tercek, the Yale admissions lady that Dennis blackmailed in the elevator a few episodes ago. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 1 July 2026 However, the politics are complicated as Long Feng (Chin Han) tries to keep the Earth King from knowing about the war and is eventually blackmailed into corruption by the Fire Nation princess, Azula (Elizabeth Yu). — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmail
  1. threaten
  2. squeeze
  3. drive
  4. extort
  5. impress
  6. coerce
  7. force
Verb
  • The caller reported that a family member was threatening them.
    — Nathan Pilling July 1, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
  • In the weeks since Fable 5 and Mythos 5 were forced out of commission, industry leaders and experts became increasingly worried that the ad-hoc ban would threaten America’s AI lead against China.
    — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 1 July 2026
Definition of threaten
Verb
  • As artificial intelligence transforms the job market and rising living costs squeeze family budgets, the University of California system is making the case that its degrees remain valuable investments.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • Breweries may not have the budget or staff to create art and with rising costs squeezing small businesses, many breweries started to feature obvious generative AI art prominently as a way to talk about events or create content.
    — Em Sauter, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • The abnormal heat has been driven by the onset of El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
  • Congestion is difficult to predict, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, when driving behavior shifted and peak traffic hours spread out instead of sticking to the more uniform 9-to-5 workday.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of drive
Verb
  • The necessity of it to my defence against a more heinous charge could alone have extorted from me so painful an indecorum.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 June 2026
  • Perhaps our two states should work in coordination to address our relative strengths and weaknesses together instead of allowing billionaire NFL ownership to extort one state over another.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026
Definition of extort
Verb
  • The group also impresses with unique choreography, incorporating Pilates balls into their routine.
    — Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Pimiento cheese is a Southern classic, and this dip adds a couple twists to impress at any gathering.
    — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
Definition of impress
Verb
  • Enterprises that route requests between multiple models can be coerced into selecting the weakest route.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • What’s not clear is whether the department will eventually use its muscle to coerce builders, suppliers, and property owners into upgrading their sheds and fielding them more sparingly.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 24 June 2026
Definition of coerce
Verb
  • Extreme heat has forced several communities in the Washington area to cancel or scale back their Independence Day celebrations.
    — Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 5 July 2026
  • The Kings forced 20 turnovers, leading to a 22-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of force

Browse Nearby Words

blackly
blackmail
blackmailed
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Cite this Entry

“Blackmail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmail. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on blackmail

Nglish: Translation of blackmail for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blackmail

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