blackmail

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Nobody can blackmail the European institutions," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

This is when “Heel” is at its most alluringly queasy, a dark commentary on all families as institutions inherently built on confinement and emotional blackmail.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

J. Edgar Hoover, who led the FBI for 48 years, had established a personal fiefdom devoted to consolidating power and pursuing his own personal obsessions, sometimes with blackmail and coercion.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

Nor does any glaring evidence point to the theorized blackmail of his rich alleged co-conspirators and clients.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

I can almost believe it, but I can’t explain the blackmail.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli