extort

verb

ik-ˈstȯrt How to pronounce extort (audio)
Definition of extortnext
as in to coerce
to get (as money) by the use of force or threats a school bully who was used to extorting lunch money from weaker kids

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb extort contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of extort are educe, elicit, evoke, and extract. While all these words mean "to draw out something hidden, latent, or reserved," extort suggests a wringing or wresting from one who resists strongly.

extorted their cooperation by threatening to inform

Where would educe be a reasonable alternative to extort?

While the synonyms educe and extort are close in meaning, educe implies the bringing out of something potential or latent.

educed order out of chaos

In what contexts can elicit take the place of extort?

In some situations, the words elicit and extort are roughly equivalent. However, elicit usually implies some effort or skill in drawing forth a response.

careful questioning elicited the truth

When is evoke a more appropriate choice than extort?

The synonyms evoke and extort are sometimes interchangeable, but evoke implies a strong stimulus that arouses an emotion or an interest or recalls an image or memory.

a song that evokes warm memories

When could extract be used to replace extort?

The words extract and extort can be used in similar contexts, but extract implies the use of force or pressure in obtaining answers or information.

extracted a confession from him

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 extort In fact, the company claims that Afram and the production company are attempting to use the lawsuit to extort money from Netflix, including by issuing a demand letter for $165 million. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 The other danger is that ransomware attackers often steal sensitive data during their intrusions, which can then be leveraged to extort victim companies into paying to keep the data quiet. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 16 July 2026 According to the complaint, DGCIM officers repeatedly beat him, fractured his back, administered electric shocks — including to his genitals — and threatened to kill him while extorting money from his wife. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 For example, Bishnoi and others attempted to extort victims in Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks, demanding in December 2025 and January 2026 that a $5 million payment be made, prosecutors contend. — City News Service, Daily News, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for extort
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extort
  1. coerce
  2. squeeze
  3. wring
  4. exact
  5. wrest
Verb
  • Group members will often blackmail victims by threatening to make swatting calls at their home address and have also been known to coerce minors into placing swatting calls themselves.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Jawad Boulos, who was Sarsour's lawyer when he was charged in Israel decades ago, testified that Sarsour was tortured in Israeli custody and coerced into making confessions.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of coerce
Verb
  • Cheap electric cars dominate one end of the market, Tesla occupies the premium end, and the middle is getting squeezed.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Washington is trying to choke Iran's ability to get its crude out while Tehran is squeezing the artery through which everybody else's crude gets through.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • An oversight board could hinder Paramount in what are certain to be future efforts to wring synergies out of a combined company.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
  • With the 2024 election firmly in the rearview, the feverish hunt to weaponize the manosphere for political gain has largely subsided—what more could be wrung from the Tates at this stage?
    — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
Definition of wring
Verb
  • Not only do organizers give their mostly women clients the permission to part with belongings, but also the permission to let go of exacting societal expectations like having a perfectly organized and spotless house.
    — Marianne Cooper, Time, 5 Aug. 2026
  • What happens when photographers take a ski vacation Walters’ exacting eye extended into retirement and visits with old Herald colleagues and best buds Peter Cross and Bruce Gilbert.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of exact
Verb
  • The leader of the group, Lydell Henry, told our partners at the Baltimore Banner the fan group had so far raised $13,000 for his group, which teaches wresting and provides after-school support to low income youth.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Another unidentified witness saw the struggle and wrested the knife from Rivas, according to police.
    — David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrest

Browse Nearby Words

extols
extort
extorted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Extort.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extort. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on extort

Nglish: Translation of extort for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All