threatened; threatening
ˈthret-niŋ 
ˈthre-tᵊn-iŋ
1
: to utter threats against
2
3
: to announce as intended or possible
the workers threatened a strike
4
: to cause to feel insecure or anxious
felt threatened by his brother's success
Examples of threaten in a Sentence
The mugger threatened him with a gun.
She threatened to quit if they didn't give her a raise, but no one believed her.
Civil war has been threatening the country for years.
a marriage threatened by financial problems
Overfishing threatens the survival of certain fish species.
The latest news threatens trouble for the economy.
Recent Examples on the Web
The government shutdown threatens that economic output, and according to Schroeder, almost all service members are at serious threat of missing a paycheck if the shutdown extends into mid-November, worsening the situation.
—
Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2025
But as the pair’s romance blossoms, class disparities threaten to tear them apart, from her classmate Mantas’ (Matas Dirginciu) jealousy to her disciplinarian dad’s (Dainius Gavenonis) disapproval.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
Which leads us to now, when a resurgence of thin eyebrows has been looming in the fashion and beauty sphere, threatening to bring your tweezers back to the table.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Former President Joe Biden then threatened a ban without a deal, which Trump has then looked to secure during his second term.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for threaten
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Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2025
But as the pair’s romance blossoms, class disparities threaten to tear them apart, from her classmate Mantas’ (Matas Dirginciu) jealousy to her disciplinarian dad’s (Dainius Gavenonis) disapproval.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
Which leads us to now, when a resurgence of thin eyebrows has been looming in the fashion and beauty sphere, threatening to bring your tweezers back to the table.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Former President Joe Biden then threatened a ban without a deal, which Trump has then looked to secure during his second term.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for threaten
Cite this Entry
“Threaten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threaten. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
threaten
verb
threat·en
ˈthret-ᵊn
threatened; threatening
ˈthret-niŋ
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to utter threats : make threats against
threaten trespassers with arrest
2
: to give signs or warning of
clouds threatening rain
3
: to be an imminent danger to : menace
hunger threatens the town
4
: to announce as intended or possible
the workers threatened a strike
threatened to buy a car
5
: to cause to feel insecure or anxious
felt threatened by his friend's success
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