racketeer

1 of 2

noun

rack·​e·​teer ˌra-kə-ˈtir How to pronounce racketeer (audio)
: one who obtains money by an illegal enterprise usually involving intimidation

racketeer

2 of 2

verb

racketeered; racketeering; racketeers

intransitive verb

: to carry on a racket

transitive verb

: to extort money from

Examples of racketeer in a Sentence

Noun the racketeer threatened to have his thugs vandalize the shop if the shopkeeper didn't pay him a monthly bribe
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Oh yeah, this relationship with this 38-year-old racketeer is so beautiful. Michael Cuby, Them, 1 Aug. 2024 While President Herbert Hoover had waged a war against kidnappers and racketeers, Roosevelt amplified the effort dramatically, pushed it in new directions, and overcame the jurisdictional, racial, partisan, and class divisions that had previously obstructed the law-and-order state. Anthony Gregory / Made By History, TIME, 23 July 2024
Verb
In 1994, Jeff Gillooly, Tonya Harding’s ex-husband, pleaded guilty in Portland, Oregon, to racketeering for his part in the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in exchange for a 24-month sentence and a $100,000 fine. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2024 Among Trump's charges are racketeering, soliciting state officials to violate their oaths of office, filing false statements and conspiracy dealing with fake electors in the state. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for racketeer 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'racketeer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1924, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1928, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of racketeer was in 1924

Dictionary Entries Near racketeer

Cite this Entry

“Racketeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racketeer. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

racketeer

noun
rack·​e·​teer
ˌrak-ə-ˈti(ə)r
: one who gets money or advantages by using force or threats
racketeer verb

Legal Definition

racketeer

noun
rack·​e·​teer ˌra-kə-ˈtir How to pronounce racketeer (audio)
: one that engages in racketeering
racketeer verb

More from Merriam-Webster on racketeer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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