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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to blackmail
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of racketeer
Time, 25 July 2023
Stephanie was cunning—even ruthless—and a notorious racketeer.
—The New Yorker, 4 Jan. 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
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
Stephanie was cunning—even ruthless—and a notorious racketeer.
—The New Yorker, 4 Jan. 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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Some scenes show the world-beating defiance this empire is built on; others, the gleeful package and sale of gangster authenticity in the ensuing years, the wedge which helped Snoop, Dre, and others like them — Jay-Z, VH1-era T.I. — pivot to television and business conglomerates.Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
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The 1930s was a gangster number with 12 showgirls coming out of a 1936 Rolls Royce.Ingrid Schmidt, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The Romans liked to give the appearance of civilized rule by getting local thugs to do their dirty work.N.T. Wright, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
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Kidnappings for ransom became common, and checkpoints operated as cash grabs for local thugs.Loubna Mrie, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Automated and enabled by AI, criminal hackers will continue to extort victims at a startling rate in 2025.Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
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Police are working to determine if other building residents have been extorted in similar ways, Chamberlain said.Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The swelling of the brain, in turn, can contribute to early signs of hypernatremia, typically headache, fatigue, and muscle weakness.10 Dehydration is one of the primary causes of hypernatremia.James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, MD, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024
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Amador Valley responded with its first score since the first quarter as Tia muscled into the end zone on a four-yard quarterback keeper, cutting the deficit to 19-16.Justice delos Santos, The Mercury News, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Chief Critic Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel criticized the Teamsters in a statement shared with Forbes, and accused the group of threatening, intimidating, and attempting to coerce Amazon employees to join them.Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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And that, according to the district attorney, is an attempt to coerce or influence the public or its citizenry or an industry towards change, which is included in the terrorism charge.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Bodies begin to pile up as the police move in, and Daniel is forced to keep his fractured community together and catch the killer.Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2024
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The law would require ByteDance to sell the app or force Google, Apple and other platforms to stop supporting the app in the United States.Kristian Burt, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Franklin fire continued to menace the coastal city, growing by 39% overnight and burning close to some residential neighborhoods and an RV park.Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
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The 37-year-old man who set his Brooklyn apartment building on fire during an hours-long standoff with police had menaced a neighbor with a knife and started the blaze with a makeshift Molotov cocktail, police said Friday.Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Racketeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racketeer. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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