threat

1 of 2

noun

1
: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
2
: one that threatens
3
: an indication of something impending
the sky held a threat of rain

threat

2 of 2

verb

threated; threating; threats
archaic

Examples of threat in a Sentence

Noun He was willing to use violence and threats to get what he wanted. She ignored their threats and continued to do what she felt was right. a country under threat of civil war
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And Nasrallah’s death does not neutralize the threat posed by Hezbollah. The Editors, National Review, 28 Sep. 2024 The threat of a closure has reached a stress point in Chicago because Greyhound, the largest intercity carrier in the United States, no longer owns its terminals in the city and dozens of others. Nathaniel Meyersohn and Chris Isidore, CNN, 28 Sep. 2024 The storm is expected to degenerate into a remnant low by early Tuesday and causes no threat to land. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 28 Sep. 2024 The threat of his running made play-action passes especially effective. Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for threat 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'threat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English thret coercion, threat, from Old English thrēat coercion; akin to Middle High German drōz annoyance, Latin trudere to push, thrust

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of threat was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near threat

Cite this Entry

“Threat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threat. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

threat

noun
ˈthret
1
: an expression of an intent to do harm
stop making threats
2
: something that threatens
the volcano was a threat to the village
3
: an indication of something impending
the sky held a threat of rain

Legal Definition

threat

noun
: an expression of an intention to injure another : menace sense 1
criminal laws against making terroristic threats

More from Merriam-Webster on threat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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