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ricatto

blackmail

noun ree-KAHT-toh Rare

Also means

extortion

Usage Note

Ricatto is masculine: il ricatto, plural i ricatti. It specifically means blackmail (coercion through threatened exposure), distinguishable from estorsione (extortion through violence or threats of harm). The verb is ricattare (to blackmail), and the perpetrator is il ricattatore / la ricattatrice. Tenere qualcuno in pugno con un ricatto = to hold someone over a barrel.

Examples

"Ha ceduto al ricatto per paura dello scandalo."

Natural Translation

He gave in to the blackmail for fear of the scandal.

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