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.

“That’s an extraordinary source of revenue — also a reminder that they essentially have a blackmail card up their sleeve,” he added.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

"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

The famous Maggie Fox, who once earned more than most American men, now used her treasured love story to blackmail the Kanes for enough money to live on.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock