What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Extort vs Seize - What's the difference?

extort | seize |

In lang=en terms the difference between extort and seize

is that extort is to wrest from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity; to wrench away (from); to tear away; to wring (from); to exact; as, to extort contributions from the vanquished; to extort confessions of guilt; to extort a promise; to extort payment of a debt while seize is to bind or lock in position immovably; see also seize up .

As verbs the difference between extort and seize

is that extort is to wrest from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity; to wrench away (from); to tear away; to wring (from); to exact; as, to extort contributions from the vanquished; to extort confessions of guilt; to extort a promise; to extort payment of a debt while seize is to deliberately take hold of; to grab or capture.

extort

English

(Webster 1913)

Verb

(en verb)
  • To wrest from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity; to wrench away (from); to tear away; to wring (from); to exact; as, to extort contributions from the vanquished; to extort confessions of guilt; to extort a promise; to extort payment of a debt.
  • (legal) To obtain by means of the offense of extortion.
  • (transitive, and, intransitive, medicine, ophthalmology) To twist outwards.
  • Derived terms

    * extortion * extortionate * extortionist

    See also

    * intort

    seize

    English

    Verb

    (seiz)
  • to deliberately take hold of; to grab or capture
  • to take advantage of (an opportunity or circumstance)
  • to take possession of (by force, law etc.)
  • to seize smuggled goods
    to seize a ship after libeling
  • to have a sudden and powerful effect upon
  • a panic seized the crowd
    a fever seized him
  • (nautical) to bind, lash or make fast, with several turns of small rope, cord, or small line
  • to seize two fish-hooks back to back
    to seize or stop one rope on to another
  • (obsolete) to fasten, fix
  • to lay hold in seizure, by hands or claws (+ on or upon)
  • to seize on the neck of a horse
    The text which had seized upon his heart with such comfort and strength abode upon him for more than a year.'' (''Southey , Bunyan, p. 21)
  • to have a seizure
  • * 2012 , Daniel M. Avery, Tales of a Country Obstetrician
  • Nearing what she thought was a climax, he started seizing and fell off her. Later, realizing he was dead, she became alarmed and dragged the body to his vehicle to make it look like he had died in his truck.
  • to bind or lock in position immovably; see also seize up
  • Rust caused the engine to seize , never to run again.
  • (UK) to submit for consideration to a deliberative body.
  • Derived terms

    * be seized of, be seized with * seizable * seize the day * seize on, seize upon * seize up * seizer * seizor