as in threatens
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on
as long as the possibility of having to move again was hanging over them, the family couldn't really settle in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hangs (over)
threatens
Verb
-
Forty years later, Moscow is once again placing Chornobyl at immense risk — this time through a violent war of aggression that threatens to bring nuclear catastrophe back to Ukraine and Europe.—
Benjamin Mack-Jackson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026 -
But the consequences of a destabilized Mali, compounded by the wider fallout from the Iran war, are unlikely to stop at its borders and threatens to deepen a deteriorating security crisis across one of the world’s most volatile regions.—
Ulf Laessing,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Hangs (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hangs%20%28over%29. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
