Meaning & use
blackmailing
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“blackmailing” is a form of “blackmail”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitivelegal
The -ing form of blackmail: forcing someone to give you money or do what you want by threatening to reveal a secret.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with into: blackmailing him into silence.
Patterns
- blackmailing someone into doing something
- blackmailing someone for something
He was arrested for blackmailing his former boss.
She accused them of blackmailing her into signing the contract.
The man was blackmailing the mayor with secret photographs.
noununcountablelegal
The crime or act of making threats to expose a secret unless the victim pays or obeys.
Grammar: Used as the name of the crime: blackmailing is a serious offense.
Patterns
- charged with blackmailing
Blackmailing is a serious crime punishable by prison.
The detective investigated reports of blackmailing in the town.
Her blackmailing of the director ended the investigation.
Word forms
| base form | blackmail |
|---|---|
| third person singular | blackmails |
| past tense | blackmailed |
| past participle | blackmailed |
Common combinations
- accused of blackmailing
- He was accused of blackmailing a colleague.
- blackmailing someone into silence
- They were blackmailing her into silence.
- charged with blackmailing
- The man was charged with blackmailing a witness.
- stop blackmailing
- Police warned him to stop blackmailing the family.
- blackmailing a politician
- He is suspected of blackmailing a politician.
Synonyms and how they differ
- extorting
- Extorting is wider, covering any forced payment through threats, not only exposing a secret.
- coercing
- Coercing means forcing someone by threats or pressure and need not involve a secret.
- pressuring
- Pressuring is milder and may be legal, while blackmailing is always a criminal threat.
- shaking down
- Shaking down is informal and often suggests threats of violence for money.
Word family
- blackmail noun
- the crime of threatening to reveal a secret
- blackmail verb
- to threaten someone in order to get something
- blackmailer noun
- a person who blackmails
- blackmailed adjective
- threatened with exposure
Commonly confused: blackmailing or bribing?
blackmailing vs bribing
Bribing is giving something to get a favor, while blackmailing forces someone through a threat.
Practice
The clerk went to jail for ____ a manager with threats to reveal an affair.
Choose one answer.
Blackmailing uses a threat to expose a secret to get something. Bribing offers a reward instead of a threat.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “blackmailing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.