extortionist

noun

Definition of extortionistnext
as in gangster
a person who gets money from another by using force or threats tortured by a gang of extortionists into revealing the combination for the money vault

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 extortionist Carrot Top's lawyer has filed an emergency motion to prevent his alleged extortionist and former friend, Brian Evans, from filing more documents. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 There still will be scammers, extortionists, extremists and others who try to take advantage of teens and adults. — Larry Magid, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026 As bomb technicians struggled to disarm the explosive, the FBI raced against the clock to deliver the ransom while simultaneously hunting the extortionists. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026 The restaurant owner, who did not wish to be identified because his family is still in India, said extortionists have threatened to kill them. — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026 Insulted, Beth calls her an extortionist and walks out. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026 As the bomb squad works to disarm it, FBI rushes to catch the extortionists. — William Earl, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026 The movie follows Reef Hawk (Keanu Reeves), an A-list Hollywood star and recovering addict who fears the destruction of his reputation when a mysterious extortionist threatens to release a damaging video of him. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026 Several customers, a Miami-Dade judge and now the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services say Thompson’s a fraudulent, bait-and-switch extortionist. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extortionist
  1. gangster
  2. thug
  3. blackmailer
  4. racketeer
Noun
  • The Capone associates lined up six members of Moran's gang, and a seventh unaffiliated man who apparently liked hanging out with gangsters, against the north wall of the garage.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Matt’s blood cells gain the ability to transform and instantly reshape his body into someone else, such as Corr or the gangster who disfigured him or even his own father (played in a quick cameo by Aaron Paul).
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of gangster
Noun
  • The other was Albrecht Hohler, thirty, a Communist member of the paramilitary group the Red Front Fighters and well known locally as a particularly vicious thug—a petty criminal who had been released from jail only a few months earlier.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
  • These low-level thugs typically are not believed to be formally aligned with Iran.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of thug
Noun
  • Apple’s decision to briefly remove Telegram from the App Store has been blamed on a blackmailer duping the company into executing a takedown, according to Telegram’s CEO.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The blackmailer continues to call her, demanding money in exchange for keeping her cam-boy secrets.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Definition of blackmailer
Noun
  • Rankin singles out the remarkable career of Sakai Eizo, a racketeer who founded the Great Japanese Order of Righteousness.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Of course, entrusting waste management to gangsters and racketeers has repercussions.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 July 2026
Definition of racketeer

Browse Nearby Words

extortioners
extortionist
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Cite this Entry

“Extortionist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extortionist. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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