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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Decimating agencies, military, siding with a terrorist state, threatening to invade US allies, stripping services from vets, ceding US power to Russia and China.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025 -
The third season, based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling novels Desert Star and The Black Ice, will center on a murder investigation of Kurt Dockweiler, which threatens to ruin the lives of the series’ three main characters.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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These are dunked in grapefruit ponzu or spicy kimchi dressing or simply squeezed with lemon.—
John Metcalfe,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
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It’s further squeezed by competition from others in the space, including Etsy, Michael’s and Hobby Lobby, as well as big-box and online retailers such as Amazon and Walmart.—
Caroline Petrow-Cohen,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The severity of this year’s flu season is driven by a combination of factors, experts suggested.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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Rochelle sees her mother as irresponsible and unreliable, but Vanessa's actions are driven by her love for her children.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Kate O'Flaherty Ransom DDoS Is On The Rise In the final quarter of 2024, Cloudflare observed a surge in Ransom DDoS attacks, where adversaries try to extort money by threatening to take down their targets' web properties or networks.—
Kate O'Flaherty,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
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The policy was a boon for drug cartel members, who targeted asylum seekers to extort, kidnap and rape them, human rights groups say.—
Annie Correal,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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If the secret aim of Train to Busan was to leave a calling card, this will certainly impress backers with bigger budgets.—
Mia Galuppo,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Feb. 2025
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The versatile actor impressed critics with a wide range of roles, expertly embodying a New York City detective in one film and Superman's most iconic adversary in the next.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While in Washington, Yehuda tries to coerce senators and congresspeople into negotiating with Hamas for the handover of Liat and Aviv, although the latter’s whereabouts remain unknown.—
Jordan Mintzer,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Feb. 2025
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America's adversaries, such as Russia and Belarus, are becoming increasingly emboldened to detain U.S. civilians to coerce Washington into lopsided deals that serve their political and strategic interests, experts said.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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At some point, builders will be forced to cut prices to liquidate inventories.—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2025
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Policies proposed by the Trump administration like imposing tariffs on key trade partners and eliminating federal tax credits will only worsen this trend, harming some of America’s biggest companies while reducing consumer choice and forcing drivers to pay more.—
Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Blackmail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmail. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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