Exhort vs extort

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Grammarist

Exhort means to forcefully urge a person to do something, to strongly advise. Exhort is a verb, related words are exhorts, exhorted, exhorting, exhortative, exhortatory, exhorter. Exhort comes from the Latin word exhortari, which means to encourage, to stimulate.

Extort means to obtain something such as money or favor in an unfair way, such as through intimidation, threat of force or threat of revealing an unpleasant secret. Extort is also a verb, related words are extorts, extorted, extorting, extortive, extorer, extortion. Extort comes from the Latin word extortus, meaning obtain by force, wrench out.

Examples

In their statement of principles pertaining to immigration reform, the U.S. Catholic Bishops exhort Congress to “examine the root causes of migration … The antidote to the problem of illegal immigration is sustainable economic development in sending countries.” (The Daily Caller)

Called “#RespectMyPM”, there are posters which exhort supporters to stand in solidarity with Najib in the face of these attacks. (The Malaysiakini)

“I commend the sappers for their hard work and exhort them to uphold the glory of Indian army.” (The Times of India)

“In the months towards the end of their relationship, Eliot came to Lis and said a woman he had been in a relationship with before he met Lis was making threats and trying to extort money from him,” the friend said. (The New York Post)

A city-parish code enforcement officer-inspector is in jail after being accused of attempting to extort money from several Baton Rouge-area businesses, including a Greenwell Springs Road nail shop, police say. (The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report)

The Financial Services Board (FSB), the body that oversees the country’s non-banking financial services industry including retirement funds and funeral insurance, has launched an investigation into seven trustees of Impala Workers Provident Fund, who allegedly tried to extort a bribe from a financial services provider. (The Independent)