impend

verb im·pend \ im-ˈpend \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Examples: impend in a Sentence

Definition of impend

impended; impending; impends

intransitive verb

1 a : to hover threateningly : menace

b : to be about to occur

the impending trial

2 archaic : to hang suspended

See impend defined for kids

Examples of impend in a Sentence

for confirmed pessimists some disaster always seems to be impending

Recent Examples of impend from the Web

Peckinpaugh said the city will continue distributing door hangers giving at-risk households a seven-day notice of impending shutoffs.

— katrease stafford, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit halts water shutoffs in temporary moratorium," 2 July 2018
Smith's impending return was the impetus for the Astros' roster move on Sunday, optioning Cionel Perez back to Class AA after Yuli Gurriel returned from paternity leave.

— chandler rome, Houston Chronicle, "Astros' Joe Smith completes rehab assignment with Class AA," 1 July 2018
Stagnant workforce growth, the impending retirement of older workers, a changing job landscape and a widening skills gap are a few of the challenges Missouri employers face.

— kansascity, "Jean Paul Bradshaw," 30 June 2018
Crowley’s impending exit has opened up a large field of new names that are floating around.

— ella nilsen, Vox, "Joe Crowley’s defeat could drive a bigger leadership shakeup for House Democrats," 29 June 2018
Separately, the impending retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who has long been the court’s swing vote on many issues, means President Trump will get to nominate a second pick for the court.

— alan murray, Fortune, "Supreme Court, Amazon Deliveries, Apple and Samsung: CEO Daily for June 28, 2018," 28 June 2018
What’s happening right now is another threat to the ACA, one made worse by the impending retirement of Justice Kennedy.

— jen gann, The Cut, "How to Be a Parent in America," 28 June 2018
To maintain operational secrecy, they are not told of impending missions.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "B-52 Bombers Could Quadruple Their Wing Bomb Loads," 25 June 2018
There’s always the chance that some life event (even Jerry’s impending nuptials) is a decoy designed to lure someone into a highly taggable place, so the entire plot is strangely choked with a paranoia.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "Tag, You’re Not It," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.