as in threatening
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on
after the first big layoff, the possibility of losing their jobs hovered over all of the factory's workers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hovering (over)
threatening
Verb
-
When the Phoenix Mercury started chipping away at the Valkyries’ 18-point lead, threatening to turn a dominant night into a late-game nightmare, Golden State had a simple answer.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026 -
While the pest poses no threat to food safety, its presence is disrupting the transportation of animals and threatening to squeeze margins further for the struggling beef industry.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
10 June 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
“Hovering (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hovering%20%28over%29. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
