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
Municipal authorities in Gaza City warned residents Wednesday to avoid low-lying areas, saying the rain threatened to displace thousands of families from temporary shelters again with no suitable alternatives available.
—
Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
The three of them were at the center of the lawsuit and then ensuing trial that threatened to tear the largest American motorsport apart.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Dec. 2025
The ceasefire deal signed in Washington just last week barely took hold at all, and the war now threatens to drag neighboring Burundi in, too.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 11 Dec. 2025
The White House led a pressure campaign, including in-person visits by the vice president to state lawmakers and by the president, threatening electoral consequences if GOP members didn't fall in line.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for threaten
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
The three of them were at the center of the lawsuit and then ensuing trial that threatened to tear the largest American motorsport apart.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Dec. 2025
The ceasefire deal signed in Washington just last week barely took hold at all, and the war now threatens to drag neighboring Burundi in, too.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 11 Dec. 2025
The White House led a pressure campaign, including in-person visits by the vice president to state lawmakers and by the president, threatening electoral consequences if GOP members didn't fall in line.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 11 Dec. 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 14 Dec. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share