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
This portable, multi-functional device tunes into all seven NOAA weather channels and automatically announces loud alerts when threatening weather conditions arise.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025
Instead of students presenting class projects, the event featured leading researchers from across the country standing in front of posters outlining their work — and the federal cuts that now threaten it.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 9 July 2025
Florida has taken multiple other steps to back the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, including having its law enforcement work in agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and threatening punishments against localities in the state that decline to partner with ICE.
—Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Beyond market volatility, Nvidia faces ongoing geopolitical challenges that threaten its access to one of its largest markets.
—ArsTechnica, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for threaten
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025
Instead of students presenting class projects, the event featured leading researchers from across the country standing in front of posters outlining their work — and the federal cuts that now threaten it.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 9 July 2025
Florida has taken multiple other steps to back the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, including having its law enforcement work in agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and threatening punishments against localities in the state that decline to partner with ICE.
—Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Beyond market volatility, Nvidia faces ongoing geopolitical challenges that threaten its access to one of its largest markets.
—ArsTechnica, 9 July 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 18 Jul. 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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