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

When villains use it to frame Tony for extorting money from a hospital and threaten Tali’s life, Tony and Ziva are dragged back into a life of running, shooting, reckless driving and fisticuffs.

From Los Angeles Times

In private text conversations with one of the criminals, who claims to be the spokesperson for the group, they said they are trying to extort the car company for money.

From BBC

In both cases the hackers sought to extort money.

From BBC

A gang also tried to extort her by sending her threatening text messages.

From BBC

They had all been the victim of "catfishing", where a criminal uses a false identity to gain the trust of someone online before extorting or scamming them.

From BBC

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.