extort

[ik-stawrt] /ɪkˈstɔrt/

verb (used with object)

Law.

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.
to take illegally by reason of one's office.

to compel (something) of a person or thing:

Her wit and intelligence extorted their admiration.

Origin

1375-1425; late Middle English (adj.) < Latin extortus, past participle of extorquēre, equivalent to ex- ex-¹ + torquēre to twist

Related forms

extorter, noun

extortive, adjective

nonextortive, adjective

unextorted, adjective

Synonyms

1. See extract.

Examples from the web for extort

It was some time, however, before a smile could be extorted from Jane.
He is a man of voracious appetites whose job consists primarily of extorting bribes for his political superiors.
They're intimidating us, harassing us and trying to extort us.
It is unknown whether the attackers intended to extort payments in return for halting the attacks, he says.
The police said that the abduction was not random and that someone had hoped to extort money from the Pratt family.
Being unable to repeal the law, the minority party chooses instead to prevent its enforcement until they can extort changes.
Both extort large sums of money from mines they control.
If operators were allowed to charge for better service, they could extort protection money from every website.
They're all lawyers and will eventually find a way to extort money from corporations.
Instead, it gives a handful of legislators the power to extort all kinds of pork by holding the state hostage.

British Dictionary definitions for extort

/ɪkˈstɔːt/

verb (transitive)

to secure (money, favours, etc) by intimidation, violence, or the misuse of influence or authority

to obtain by importunate demands: the children extorted a promise of a trip to the zoo

to overcharge for (something, esp interest on a loan)

Derived Forms

extorter, noun
extortive, adjective

Word Origin

C16: from Latin extortus wrenched out, from extorquēre to wrest away, from torquēre to twist, wrench

Word Origin and History for extort

1520s (as a past participle adj. from early 15c.), from Latin extortus, past participle of extorquere (see extortion). Related: Extorted; extorting.