Extort – Meaning, Definition, Synonyms and Antonyms
Extort is used as a Verb in English. It means to get money or something of value from someone by threatening them or using pressure, often involving abuse of power.
Meaning:
Extortion happens when one person uses force, threats, or intimidation to make another person give up money, property, or a benefit. In many real-world cases, extortion is also illegal, even if the victim feels pressured into agreeing.
Definition:
To extort means to obtain something valuable from someone illegally by coercion. It is often associated with organized crime, but it can also appear in everyday situations, such as a hostile workplace, personal conflicts, or scams where fear is used as leverage. While the exact legal wording varies by jurisdiction, the key idea stays the same: forcing someone to give value through threats or harmful pressure.
You may also see related terms like exploit and embezzle, which describe different kinds of wrongdoing. Extort specifically centers on pressure and threats to extract payment or benefits.
Historically, extort entered English from Latin roots related to “pulling or forcing out,” reflecting the idea of taking something by force.
Example Sentences:
- They extorted money from local businesses.
- He was extorted into signing the contract under threat of exposure.
- She refused to be extorted by their threats.
- The bully tried to extort lunch money from younger students.
- They used blackmail to extort favors.
- Online scammers may attempt to extort cryptocurrency by threatening to share personal photos.
Extort Synonyms:
Extort Antonyms:
Explore more Negative words that start with E
If you’re building vocabulary around legal and ethical topics, you may also find it helpful to compare extort with related actions like evict (removing someone from a place) and excoriate (strongly criticize). These words are close in theme but do not mean “to force someone to give value.”
