extort Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb obtain through intimidation
  2. verb obtain by coercion or intimidation
    gouge; squeeze; wring; rack.
    • 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
  3. verb get or cause to become in a difficult or laborious manner
    wring from.

WordNet

Ex*tort" transitive verb
Etymology
L. extortus, p. p. of extorquere to twist or wrench out, to extort; ex out + torquere to turn about, twist. See Torsion.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Extorted; present participle & verbal noun Extorting
Definitions
  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.
Ex*tort" intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To practice extortion. Obs. Spenser.
Ex*tort" past participle & adjective
Etymology
L. extortus. p. p.
Definitions
  1. Extorted. Obs. Spenser.

Webster 1913