jeopardize
verb
Did you know?
Jeopardize Has a Controversial History
Imagine you’re a contestant on a game show, and your task is to provide a question as a response to this statement from the host: “This word was once controversial, and in 1870 a grammarian called it ‘a foolish and intolerable word,’ a view shared by many 19th-century critics.” If you answered, “What is jeopardize?,” you might be going home with some money! The preferred word back then was jeopard, which first appeared in print in the 14th century. The upstart jeopardize didn’t arrive until the late 16th century, and took a while to catch on. In 1828, Noah Webster himself declared jeopardize to be “a modern word, used by respectable writers in America, but synonymous with jeopard, and therefore useless.” Unfortunately for the champions of jeopard, increased usage of jeopardize ultimately put the former word in jeopardy. Jeopard is now only rarely heard.
Examples of jeopardize in a Sentence
Brendan Cole
shane Croucher
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
This may jeopardize his ability to get back in the lineup before the regular season ends on September 28.
—Jared Wyllys, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Some who disliked the conservative activist have posted comments on social media that have jeopardized their jobs, including public school teachers in Texas.
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2025
Social media posts can jeopardize your job.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jeopardize
Cite this Entry
“Jeopardize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jeopardize. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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