1.blackmail的基本意思是“敲诈，勒索”“要挟，胁迫”，多指以威胁向他人讲出某人的秘密为手段而敲诈某人的钱财或胁迫其做某事。
2.blackmail是及物动词，以被敲诈勒索的人为宾语，其后有时可接介词短语“into n./v-ing”表示“胁迫某人做某事”。
3.表示“以…要挟”用介词by。

用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
Don't think you can blackmail me.不要以为你能要挟我。
She blackmailed him for years by threatening to tell the newspapers about their affair.她以公开他们的私情要挟他很多年。
▲S+～+n./pron.+into n./v-ing
I don't believe the policy of power politics can blackmail us into submission.我们不信实力政策能够讹诈我们屈服。
They tried to blackmail me into giving them the money.他们试图诈我钱财。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
The President said he wouldn't be blackmailed into agreeing to the terrorists' demands.总统说他不会因受恐怖分子的威胁而答应他们的要求。

The foreign minister declared in a statement to the press that he would never submit to blackmail.外长向新闻界发表的声明中宣称他绝不屈服于讹诈。

［派生词］ blackmailer n. 敲诈者