What's the Difference Between 'Blackmail' and 'Extortion'?
In this blog post we look at when to use blackmail and when to use extortion.
'Blackmail' or 'Extortion'?
"Blackmail" and "extortion" are both illegal activities that involve threatening or coercing someone to do something against their will. However, they are slightly different in the way that they are carried out.
"Blackmail" is the act of threatening to reveal embarrassing or damaging information about someone unless they do what you want. It is typically a crime that is carried out by an individual or small group against another individual.
"Extortion" is the act of obtaining something, such as money or property, through force or threats. It can be carried out by an individual or group against another individual or group, and it is often associated with organized crime.
So, to sum up, "blackmail" involves threatening to reveal embarrassing or damaging information about someone unless they do what you want, while "extortion" involves obtaining something through force or threats. Both activities are illegal and can result in criminal charges.
Here are some example sentences to illustrate the difference between "blackmail" and "extortion":
"Blackmail" examples:
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She was being blackmailed by her ex-boyfriend, who threatened to release embarrassing photos of her unless she paid him money.
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He was accused of trying to blackmail the company by threatening to reveal information about their illegal activities unless they paid him a large sum of money.
"Extortion" examples:
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The mafia was using extortion to force local businesses to pay them protection money.
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He was arrested for extortion after threatening to harm the victim's family unless they gave him their life savings.
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The politician was charged with extortion for accepting bribes in exchange for favorable treatment.
Examples of Blackmail in a Sentence
Here are ten sentences using the word "blackmail":
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She was being blackmailed by her ex-boyfriend, who threatened to release embarrassing photos of her unless she paid him money.
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He was accused of trying to blackmail the company by threatening to reveal information about their illegal activities unless they paid him a large sum of money.
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The hacker demanded a ransom in exchange for not releasing sensitive information that they had obtained through blackmail.
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The politician was caught in a blackmail scandal when it was revealed that they had threatened to reveal embarrassing information about their opponent unless they dropped out of the race.
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The celebrity was being blackmailed by someone who claimed to have embarrassing photos of them.
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He tried to blackmail his boss into giving him a promotion by threatening to reveal information about their illegal activities.
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She was terrified of being blackmailed by her former colleague, who had threatened to reveal damaging information about her unless she paid them a large sum of money.
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The gang was using blackmail to force local businesses to pay them protection money.
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He was arrested for blackmail after threatening to reveal embarrassing information about the victim unless they gave him a large sum of money.
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The company was being blackmailed by an employee who threatened to reveal information about their unethical practices unless they paid them a large sum of money.
Examples of Extortion in a Sentence
Here are ten sentences using the word "extortion":
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The mafia was using extortion to force local businesses to pay them protection money.
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He was arrested for extortion after threatening to harm the victim's family unless they gave him their life savings.
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The politician was charged with extortion for accepting bribes in exchange for favorable treatment.
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The hacker demanded a ransom in exchange for not releasing sensitive information that they had obtained through extortion.
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The gang was using extortion to force local businesses to pay them protection money.
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He tried to extort his boss into giving him a promotion by threatening to reveal information about their illegal activities.
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She was terrified of being extorted by her former colleague, who had threatened to reveal damaging information about her unless she paid them a large sum of money.
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The celebrity was being extorted by someone who claimed to have embarrassing photos of them.
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The company was being extorted by an employee who threatened to reveal information about their unethical practices unless they paid them a large sum of money.
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He was arrested for extortion after threatening to reveal embarrassing information about the victim unless they gave him a large sum of money.
