threaten

as in to endanger
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on the powerful hurricane continues to threaten the southern coastline

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of threaten Prosecutors allege Thornton called the Office of Lawyer Regulation staff more than 70 times, at times making threatening comments to staff members, and at one point asked for Karofsky's home address. Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025 In 2003, then NBA commissioner David Stern threatened to cancel the WNBA season before an agreement was struck. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 21 Oct. 2025 Was Lee threatening Skull in the days before the attack? Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025 What does Generative AI threaten that wasn’t already under siege? Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for threaten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threaten
Verb
  • Wild burros' appetite for native desert trees are endangering the health of Sonoran ecosystems, a new study found.
    John Leos, AZCentral.com, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Salmon Run, by Alejandra López, tells the story of a Puerto Rican mother working in a salmon-factory in urban Los Angeles whose friend disappears, and her hunt for answers leads her into a corruption that endangers many lives.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the follow-up, the sinister killer seeks vengeance on Finn from beyond the grave by menacing his younger sister, Gwen, who is played by Madeleine McGraw.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Pop-culture figures like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman are so ubiquitous as to be both movie characters and parodies of themselves, and this DuckTales episode is good for any kids that like monsters but aren’t quite ready to be menaced by them yet.
    Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Threaten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threaten. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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