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blackmail

UK:^*^*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈblækmeɪl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈblækˌmeɪl/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(blak′māl′)

black•mail /ˈblækˌmeɪl/USA pronunciation n.

[uncountable]

an act of frightening someone into making a payment of money, as by revealing secrets:accused of blackmail based on the threatening letters he wrote.
the payment made:The blackmail was $25,000.
any similar act of threatening someone into doing something undesirable:The spoiled brat used emotional blackmail on his parents.

v. [~ + object]

to force (someone) into paying blackmail:For years his partner blackmailed him with those pictures he had taken.

black•mail•er, n. [countable]

black•mail (blak′māl′),USA pronunciation n.

any payment extorted by intimidation, as by threats of injurious revelations or accusations.
the extortion of such payment:He confessed rather than suffer the dishonor of blackmail.
a tribute formerly exacted in the north of England and in Scotland by freebooting chiefs for protection from pillage.

v.t.

to extort money from (a person) by the use of threats.
to force or coerce into a particular action, statement, etc.:The strikers claimed they were blackmailed into signing the new contract.

black + mail³ 1545–55

black′mail′er, n.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

blackmail /ˈblækˌmeɪl/ n

the act of attempting to obtain money by intimidation, as by threats to disclose discreditable information
the exertion of pressure or threats, esp unfairly, in an attempt to influence someone's actions

vb (transitive)

to exact or attempt to exact (money or anything of value) from (a person) by threats or intimidation; extort
to attempt to influence the actions of (a person), esp by unfair pressure or threats

Etymology: 16th Century: see black, mail³ˈblackmailer n

'blackmail' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

extortion - greenmail - honeytrap - intimidate - shake down - squeeze - tamper - Black Hand - break - Camorra - chantage - extract - highbinder - shakedown - squeezable

In Lists: Expressions with colors, Crime, Series, more...

Synonyms: threat, extortion, shakedown, shake-down, coercion, more...

Collocations: had to resort to blackmail (to), resorted to threats and blackmail, don't want to have to resort to blackmail, but, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "blackmail" in the title:

a sideline in blackmail
blackmail
chicken and blackmail
It's blackmail
Shakedown, extortion, and blackmail
To blackmail
to threaten and attempt to blackmail other people."

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⇱ blackmail - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

blackmail