threatening
adjective
threat·en·ing
ˈthret-niŋ 
ˈthre-tᵊn-iŋ
: expressing or suggesting a threat of harm, danger, etc.
received a threatening message
a threatening manner
: indicating or suggesting the approach of possible trouble or danger
saw threatening clouds on the horizon
Examples of threatening in a Sentence
economists warning of a threatening recession
a threatening silence followed the loud thump in the adjoining motel room
threatening rocks lined that narrow stretch of the river through which we would be rafting
Recent Examples on the Web
If diplomacy and international cooperation aren’t reliable, countries will be looking for other means to protect themselves in an increasingly threatening world.
—
Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
Through a mixture of audacity, ruthlessness, and luck, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has upended the balance of power between Israel and Iran, its most threatening regional adversary, and remade the Middle East in just 20 months.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 19 June 2025
But the president’s rhetoric in recent days has gotten more threatening toward Tehran, including a social media post targeting Iran’s supreme leader.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 19 June 2025
Surely among the most threatening sources of such powers are the fossil fuels now released from the depths.
—Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for threatening
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Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
Through a mixture of audacity, ruthlessness, and luck, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has upended the balance of power between Israel and Iran, its most threatening regional adversary, and remade the Middle East in just 20 months.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 19 June 2025
But the president’s rhetoric in recent days has gotten more threatening toward Tehran, including a social media post targeting Iran’s supreme leader.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 19 June 2025
Surely among the most threatening sources of such powers are the fossil fuels now released from the depths.
—Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for threatening
Cite this Entry
“Threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threatening. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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