threatening
adjective
threat·en·ing
ˈthret-niŋ 
ˈthre-tᵊn-iŋ
: expressing or suggesting a threat of harm, danger, etc.
received a threatening message
a threatening manner
: indicating or suggesting the approach of possible trouble or danger
saw threatening clouds on the horizon
Examples of threatening in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Todd was charged on May 3, 2022, with four misdemeanor counts after he was allegedly captured on video making threatening remarks to police officers and illegally remaining within the building.
—
Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024
Prior to his death, MacGowan had been recently hospitalized after being diagnosed with encephalitis,which is an uncommon and potentially life threatening condition that causes the brain to swell, since December 2022 per Sky News.
—Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Israel says many of the dead were trampled in a chaotic crush for food aid, and that its troops had fired warning shots after the crowd moved toward them in a threatening way.
—CBS News, 2 Mar. 2024
Have you ever been involved in a situation that was extremely threatening, or dangerous, or somehow dramatic?
—Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said at the time that Crumbley was caught making threatening statements by phone and electronic messages while in custody before the start of the trial.
—Jean Casarez, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024
Schreiber’s gruff, salt-of-the-earth Flynn lacks a threatening underside, like a rock without worms squirming beneath.
—Naveen Kumar, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Police records show at least 20 calls made to Moreno’s home from 2019 to 2023, some of them for allegations of harassment and threatening behavior.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024
But in recent months, the White House has seemed more preoccupied with its China détente program than with responding to specific instances of the CCP’s threatening and repressive behavior.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Mar. 2024
Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024
Prior to his death, MacGowan had been recently hospitalized after being diagnosed with encephalitis,which is an uncommon and potentially life threatening condition that causes the brain to swell, since December 2022 per Sky News.
—Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Israel says many of the dead were trampled in a chaotic crush for food aid, and that its troops had fired warning shots after the crowd moved toward them in a threatening way.
—CBS News, 2 Mar. 2024
Have you ever been involved in a situation that was extremely threatening, or dangerous, or somehow dramatic?
—Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said at the time that Crumbley was caught making threatening statements by phone and electronic messages while in custody before the start of the trial.
—Jean Casarez, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024
Schreiber’s gruff, salt-of-the-earth Flynn lacks a threatening underside, like a rock without worms squirming beneath.
—Naveen Kumar, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
Police records show at least 20 calls made to Moreno’s home from 2019 to 2023, some of them for allegations of harassment and threatening behavior.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024
But in recent months, the White House has seemed more preoccupied with its China détente program than with responding to specific instances of the CCP’s threatening and repressive behavior.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'threatening.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near threatening
Cite this Entry
“Threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threatening. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share