The word **要挟** (yāoxié) is formed through the combination of two semantically related characters: **要** (yāo), which here carries its archaic meaning "to demand" or "to coerce," and **挟** (xié), which means "to clutch under the arm," "to harbor," or "to hold under duress." Together, they create a compound verb where the first character establishes the act of making a demand, and the second character introduces the method of enforcement—specifically through the application of pressure, threat, or the holding of some leverage. Thus, the word as a whole means "to coerce" or "to blackmail," perfectly encapsulating the concept of forcing someone's compliance by threatening to expose a weakness or inflict harm.