extort

Verb

Verb Forms: extorted, extorting, extorts

To obtain something by force, threats, or intimidation.
obtain through intimidation
obtain by coercion or intimidation
- "They extorted money from the executive by threatening to reveal his past to the company boss"
get or cause to become in a difficult or laborious manner
To take or seize from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity.
To obtain by means of the offense of extortion.
To twist outwards.

Adj

extorted; obtained by extortion.

Examples

He tried to extort a win by playing a questionable word, hoping no one would challenge.
to extort a promise
to extort confessions of guilt
to extort contributions from the vanquished
to extort payment of a debt

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed from Latin extortus, past participle of extorquere (“to twist or wrench out, to extort”); from ex (“out”) + -tort, from torqueō (“twist, turn”).

Synonyms

gouge, rack, squeeze, wring, wring from, to exact, to tear away, to wring, wrench away

Scrabble Score: 13

extort: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
extort: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
extort: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

extort: valid Words With Friends Word