imperil
verb
im·per·il
im-ˈper-əl 
-ˈpe-rəl
imperiled or imperilled; imperiling or imperilling
: to bring into peril : endanger
a reckless act that imperiled us all
a list of imperiled species
Examples of imperil in a Sentence
The toxic fumes imperiled the lives of the trapped miners.
The financial health of the company was imperiled by a string of bad investments.
a list of imperiled species
Recent Examples on the Web
The ruling immediately imperils the cornerstone of the administration’s economic strategy, transforming America’s negotiator-in-chief into a leader stripped of his most potent leverage.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
In particular, her office took issue with a passage in the order that said the mayor’s office would be involved in referring cases to prosecutors, a procedure that the prosecutor’s office said would imperil potential cases by politicizing the process.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
If real estate values falter in a region, the decline could imperil a crucial revenue stream from property taxes for cities, counties, regional agencies, and school districts.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
If only because Spencer Pratt’s plan for Los Angeles does not address public transit, and thus imperils the train.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for imperil
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Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
In particular, her office took issue with a passage in the order that said the mayor’s office would be involved in referring cases to prosecutors, a procedure that the prosecutor’s office said would imperil potential cases by politicizing the process.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
If real estate values falter in a region, the decline could imperil a crucial revenue stream from property taxes for cities, counties, regional agencies, and school districts.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
If only because Spencer Pratt’s plan for Los Angeles does not address public transit, and thus imperils the train.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for imperil
Cite this Entry
“Imperil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imperil. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
imperil
verb
im·per·il
im-ˈper-əl
imperiled or imperilled; imperiling or imperilling
: to place in great danger : endanger
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