Adjacent Words

Extort definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

EXTORT', v.t. [L. extortus, from extorqueo, to wrest from; ex and torqueo, to twist.]
1. To draw from by force or compulsion; to wrest or wring from by physical force, by menace, duress, violence, authority, or by an illegal means. Conquerors extort contributions from the vanquished; tyrannical princes extort money from their subjects; officers often extort illegal fees; confessions of guilt are extorted by the rack. A promise extorted by duress is not binding.
2. To gain by violence or oppression.
EXTORT', v.i. To practice extortion.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: obtain through intimidation
2: obtain by coercion or intimidation; "They extorted money from the executive by threatening to reveal his past to the company boss"; "They squeezed money from the owner of the business by threatening him" [syn: extort, squeeze, rack, gouge, wring]
3: get or cause to become in a difficult or laborious manner [syn: extort, wring from]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb Etymology: Latin extortus, past participle of extorqu?re to wrench out, extort, from ex- + torqu?re to twist — more at torture Date: 15th century to obtain from a person by force, intimidation, or undue or illegal power ; wring; also to gain especially by ingenuity or compelling argument Synonyms: see educe • extorter noun • extortive adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. obtain by force, threats, persistent demands, etc. Derivatives: extorter n. extortive adj. Etymology: L extorquere extort- (as EX-(1), torquere twist)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Extort Ex*tort", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Extorted; p. pr. & vb. n. Extorting.] [L. extortus, p. p. of extorquere to twist or wrench out, to extort; ex out + torquere to turn about, twist. See Torsion.] 1. To wrest from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity; to wrench away (from); to tear away; to wring (from); to exact; as, to extort contributions from the vanquished; to extort confessions of guilt; to extort a promise; to extort payment of a debt. 2. (Law) To get by the offense of extortion. See Extortion, 2.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Extort Ex*tort", v. i. To practice extortion. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Extort Ex*tort", p. p. & a. [L. extortus. p. p.] Extorted. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(extorts, extorting, extorted) If someone extorts money from you, they get it from you using force, threats, or other unfair or illegal means. Corrupt government officials were extorting money from him... Her kidnapper extorted a £175,000 ransom for her release. = extract VERB: V n from n, V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Exact, wrest, wring, wrench, force, wring from by intimidation or terrorism.

Moby Thesaurus

abstract, and, annex, appropriate, ask, ask for, badger, bag, blackmail, bleed, boost, borrow, bully, call for, challenge, cheat, claim, clamor for, coerce, cop, crib, cry for, defraud, demand, embezzle, exact, extract, filch, fleece, force, force from, get, gouge, hook, impose, indent, issue an ultimatum, levy, levy blackmail, lift, make a demand, make off with, milk, nip, obtain, order, order up, palm, pilfer, pinch, place an order, poach, pry loose from, purloin, put in requisition, rend, rend from, require, requisition, rip, rip from, run away with, rustle, screw, scrounge, secure, shake down, shoplift, skin, snare, snatch, snatch from, snitch, squeeze, steal, swindle, swipe, take, tear from, thieve, walk off with, warn, wrench, wrench from, wrest, wring, wring from