demanding money from a person or organization by threatening them, for example threatening to tell secrets about them if they do not pay:
• Most of his wealth had been acquired through blackmail.
to demand money from a person or organization by threatening them, for example threatening to tell secrets about them if they do not pay:
• a man who blackmailed gay businessmen by threatening to expose their homosexuality
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Ⅰ.
blackmail UK US /ˈblækmeɪl/ noun [U]
► a situation in which threats are made to harm a person or organization if they do not do something such as give someone money: »
Large corporations can be vulnerable to blackmail demands by computer hackers.
Ⅱ.
blackmail UK US /ˈblækmeɪl/ verb [T]
► to make threats to harm a company or organization if they do not do something you want, such as give you money: »
A former executive, seeking damages of $2.5 million, was accused of trying to blackmail the company.
Financial and business terms. 2012.