hold sb to ransom
UK US hold sb ransomto force someone to do something by putting that person in a situation where they have no choice:
He claimed his country was being held to ransom by threats of withdrawing aid.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Causing somebody to act
- a kick up the arse/backside idiom
- arm-twisting
- bludgeon
- bounce
- bounce sb into sth
- bulldoze
- force sb's hand idiom
- forcible
- impel
- impose
- jolt
- push
- railroad
- screw
- shanghai
- slap sth on/onto (sth/sb)
- squeeze
- squeeze sth out of sb
- trap
- wring sth from/out of sb
See more results »