blackmailnoun [ U ]
uk/ˈblæk.meɪl/us/ˈblæk.meɪl/C2 the act of getting money from people or forcing them to do something by threatening to tell a secret of theirs or to harm them:
If you are in a position of authority, any weakness leaves you open to blackmail.
More examples
- I don't believe she would ever stoop to bribery or blackmail.
- They were found guilty of blackmail and sent to prison.
- His secret financial activities made him vulnerable to blackmail.
- Undoubtedly, blackmail is a very serious offence.
- They were villains who resorted to threats and blackmail to get what they wanted.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Fraud & corruption
- baksheesh
- buy sb off
- cook
- cook the books idiom
- corrupt
- corruption
- cybercrime
- front for sth
- game-fixing
- get at sb
- graft
- impersonate
- imposture
- launder
- Ponzi scheme
- rort
- shell
- siphon sth off
- suborn
- swindle
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Idiom(s)
emotional blackmail
blackmailverb [ T ]
uk/ˈblæk.meɪl/us/ˈblæk.meɪl/C2 to get money from someone by blackmail:
They used the photographs to blackmail her into spying for them.
More examples
- When he found out about my affair he tried to blackmail me.
- A computer hacker's attempt to blackmail the bank was foiled by detectives last month.
- The gang thought they could use the photographs to blackmail the pop star.
- If someone is blackmailing you, you really must inform the police.
- The film is about a city dealer who is blackmailing his boss.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Cheating & tricking
- a numbers game idiom
- bad faith
- bamboozle
- bilk
- blag
- fleece
- gag
- hoodwink
- impersonate
- jape
- jiggery-pokery
- lead sb a (merry) dance idiom
- poison
- scam
- scammer
- screw
- sell sb a bill of goods idiom
- send/give out (all) the wrong signals idiom
- shaft
- wool
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blackmailer
noun [ C ] uk/ˈblækˌmeɪ.lər/us/ˈblækˌmeɪ.lɚ/