extort

[ik-stawrt]

verb (used with object)

1. Law.

   1. to wrest or wring (money, information, etc.) from a person by violence, intimidation, or abuse of authority; obtain by force, torture, threat, or the like.

   2. to take illegally by reason of one's office.

2. to compel (something) of a person or thing.

   Her wit and intelligence extorted their admiration.

extort

/ ɪkˈstɔːt /

verb

1. to secure (money, favours, etc) by intimidation, violence, or the misuse of influence or authority

2. to obtain by importunate demands

   the children extorted a promise of a trip to the zoo

3. to overcharge for (something, esp interest on a loan)

Other Word Forms

• extortive adjective
• extorter noun
• nonextortive adjective
• unextorted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of extort¹

First recorded in 1525–1500; from Latin extortus, past participle of extorquēre, equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + torquēre “to twist”; tort ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of extort¹

C16: from Latin extortus wrenched out, from extorquēre to wrest away, from torquēre to twist, wrench

Synonym Study

See extract.

Example Sentences

Finnigan said: "They extort people of race, mental health problems or if they are mentally vulnerable for anybody to really use."

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Violence erupted at an illegal mining site in Birnin Gwari district when a bandit kingpin "extorted gold from miners at gunpoint", the report said.

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A spokesperson for Discord told the BBC that those claims are inaccurate and "part of an attempt to extort payment".

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It was, they suggested, an attempt to extort a ransom from the company by infecting its networks with malicious software.

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Hackers who attempted to extort a nursery chain by posting stolen images and data about children on the darknet have removed the posts and claim to have deleted the information.

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Related Words

• coerce 
• elicit 
• exact 
• extract 
• wrest 
• wring 

When To Use

What does extort mean?

Extort means to use violence, threats, intimidation, or pressure from one’s authority to force someone to hand over money (or something else of value) or do something they don’t want to do.Extort is commonly used in this literal way, but it can also be used in a few more general or figurative ways.It can mean to overcharge someone for something, as in If you ask me, the textbooks companies are extorting us by coming out with new editions every year. It can also mean to obtain through relentless and unreasonable demands, as in The kids are good at extorting treats from their grandparents just by constantly asking.These senses liken such actions to the actual crime of extortion. More generally, the word extortion refers to the act of extorting. Such actions can be described as extortionary. A person who engages in extortion can be called an extortionist or an extortioner.Example: The mob regularly extorts money from small business owners through intimidation.