extort
Translation
to extort, to blackmail
Examples
They tried to extort money from the shop owner.
They tried to extort money from the shop owner.
He was arrested for extorting secrets from the official.
He was arrested for extorting secrets from the official.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) ((from sb.)) to obtain (sth.) from (sb.) by force They tried to extort money from the shop owner.
Similar Words
Synonyms: blackmail, coerce, extract
Etymology
From Latin 'ex-' (out) + 'torquere' (to twist). To 'twist out' of someone.
Memory Tips
Picture twisting someone's arm to get something. 'Ex-' (out) + 'tort' (twist) = to twist something out of someone.