threatened; threatening
ˈthret-niŋ 
ˈthre-tᵊn-iŋ
1
: to utter threats against
2
3
: to announce as intended or possible
the workers threatened a strike
4
: to cause to feel insecure or anxious
felt threatened by his brother's success
Examples of threaten in a Sentence
The mugger threatened him with a gun.
She threatened to quit if they didn't give her a raise, but no one believed her.
Civil war has been threatening the country for years.
a marriage threatened by financial problems
Overfishing threatens the survival of certain fish species.
The latest news threatens trouble for the economy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dyche led Burnley to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League and recently steadied the ship at Everton at a time when they were threatened by relegation.
—
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
As music and dance meld in celebration of artistry, culture and history, an evil descends, threatening to devour the fabric and heart of the community — and all that Smoke and Stack have worked to achieve.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
By putting the pension reform on the chopping block, Lecornu threatens to kill off one of Macron’s main economic legacies at a time when France’s public finances are in a perilous state, leaving the president with little in the way of domestic achievements after eight years in office.
—CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Duffy has also threatened to pull another $160 million from California because of the state’s process to issue commercial driver’s licenses.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for threaten
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Paul Taylor, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
As music and dance meld in celebration of artistry, culture and history, an evil descends, threatening to devour the fabric and heart of the community — and all that Smoke and Stack have worked to achieve.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
By putting the pension reform on the chopping block, Lecornu threatens to kill off one of Macron’s main economic legacies at a time when France’s public finances are in a perilous state, leaving the president with little in the way of domestic achievements after eight years in office.
—CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Duffy has also threatened to pull another $160 million from California because of the state’s process to issue commercial driver’s licenses.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for threaten
Cite this Entry
“Threaten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threaten. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
threaten
verb
threat·en
ˈthret-ᵊn
threatened; threatening
ˈthret-niŋ
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to utter threats : make threats against
threaten trespassers with arrest
2
: to give signs or warning of
clouds threatening rain
3
: to be an imminent danger to : menace
hunger threatens the town
4
: to announce as intended or possible
the workers threatened a strike
threatened to buy a car
5
: to cause to feel insecure or anxious
felt threatened by his friend's success
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