as in gangster
a person who gets money from another by using force or threats
the racketeer threatened to have his thugs vandalize the shop if the shopkeeper didn't pay him a monthly bribe
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as in to blackmail
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of racketeer
Simon Shuster, TIME, 4 Jan. 2024
As revealed in previously undisclosed FBI files, Manton fraternized with racketeers and accepted large loans and gifts from such unsavory sources.
—Time, 25 July 2023
Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 8 Oct. 2024
In 1994, Jeff Gillooly, Tonya Harding’s ex-husband, pleaded guilty in Portland, Oregon, to racketeering for his part in the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in exchange for a 24-month sentence and a $100,000 fine.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for racketeer
Noun
Parts of the city turned into wastelands of racketeers and alcoholics.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 4 Jan. 2024
As revealed in previously undisclosed FBI files, Manton fraternized with racketeers and accepted large loans and gifts from such unsavory sources.
—Time, 25 July 2023
Verb
Zoom in: Madigan is charged with 23 counts ranging from racketeering conspiracy to a host of other crimes.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 8 Oct. 2024
In 1994, Jeff Gillooly, Tonya Harding’s ex-husband, pleaded guilty in Portland, Oregon, to racketeering for his part in the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in exchange for a 24-month sentence and a $100,000 fine.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for racketeer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racketeer
Noun
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An hour ago, the stocky British actor best known on these shores for playing tough guys and gangsters was on a morning talk show, after having chatted with Jimmy Fallon the previous evening.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
22 Mar. 2025
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Dealing with the fractious relationship between gangsters and former friends Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, the film strains for an epic quality that the filmmaking doesn’t support.—
Frank Scheck,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Jesse, understandably, has become more defensive about antisemitism since he was brutally attacked by thugs who singled him out for being Jewish.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 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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With the release of Season 3’s first three episode, Prime Video’s Reacher easily muscled its way back onto Nielsen’s U.S. ranking of streaming originals.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
20 Mar. 2025
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Johnson succeeds in jamming Schumer Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) set the tone for this week’s shutdown showdown, unveiling the stopgap Saturday, selling it to his conference Monday and muscling it through his razor-thin majority Tuesday.—
Mychael Schnell,
The Hill,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Read more Iraq The World's Selective Outrage—Alawite Massacres in Syria Deserve Our Attention | Opinion The Asayish, Kurdistan's official security organization, regularly targets Assyrians in the Nahla Valley, coercing them to sign fake concessions.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
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These tariffs were originally intended to pressure Mexico to step up immigration enforcement at the U.S. border, and to coerce all three countries into doing more to limit illicit fentanyl trafficking into the United States.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The highlight of this movie is unambiguously the scene where De Niro, as Frank, is forced to carry his wife’s small dog into the elevator of their apartment building.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2025
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Eventually, Lydia Harris was forced to file suit against Knight, revealing the actual origin story of Death Row Records’ and the hitherto unknown players involved.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Besides supplemental duties totaling 20% on Chinese goods, Trump has suspended other menaced tariffs on Canada and Mexico.—
Rob Wile,
NBC News,
12 Mar. 2025
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Battling invasive species in the Great Lakes A third important aspect of NOAA’s coastal work involves controlling invasive species in America’s waters, including those that have menaced the Great Lakes.—
Christine Keiner,
The Conversation,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Racketeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racketeer. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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