1
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
warns that the emergence of new viruses is one of the most menacing developments we face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury
fears that the unemployment rate may be reaching menacing proportions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in endangering
to place in danger
menaced the children by leaving them in the car unattended
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in threatening
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on
stockpiles of nuclear weapons that continue to menace the inhabitants of this planet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of menacing
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
The tiers would include dangerous animals, potentially dangerous animals and menacing animals.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
As the two catch up, Crudup veers from good-natured to sorrowful to bitter to menacing in a matter of minutes.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for menacing
Adjective
Anyone who watched The Handmaid’s Tale — and I’d wager that’s nearly everyone here — knows this, which is what makes its reiteration in the prologue to The Testaments so menacing.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
The tiers would include dangerous animals, potentially dangerous animals and menacing animals.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
Some argue that the only way to stop Iran from menacing the region and its people is to crush this regime.
—Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
As the two catch up, Crudup veers from good-natured to sorrowful to bitter to menacing in a matter of minutes.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for menacing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for menacing
Adjective
-
Stay vigilant by monitoring the sky for ominous signs and listening for the telltale sound of thunder.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Stay vigilant by monitoring the sky for ominous signs and listening for the telltale sound of thunder.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The agency also rescinded the legal and scientific basis that had long established greenhouse gases as dangerous to public health.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
From a darkly comic road rage incident to something more ambiguous, and potentially more dangerous; from the open roads of Southern California to an exclusive country club in Montecito; and from a couple of strangers in conflict to two actual couples in conflict with each other — and themselves.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Police began cracking down Saturday, using pepper spray to help clear protesters at the Whitegate refinery in County Cork and vowing to remove others who were endangering critical infrastructure and public safety because gas shortages could prevent response by emergency services.—
Brian Melley,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Irish police Commissioner Justin Kelly said enforcement would be ramped up because protesters were illegally blockading critical infrastructure and endangering public safety because of the impact gas shortages could have on emergency response from paramedics and firefighters.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The pedestrian was transported to local hospital with life threatening injuries.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
An oil spill could quickly carry pollutants to nearby coasts and rivers, threatening ecosystems and communities that depend on fishing and mangroves.—
Gabriela Sá Pessoa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Noblezada stepped into the role of the tragically vivacious nightclub singer Sally Bowles, but rather than playing her unlikely lover Cliff, Carney was cast as the impishly sinister Emcee of the Kit Kat Club.—
Carey Purcell,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Distracted balances its celeb soiree with Southern California’s sinister edge, the malaise and monotony that can make sunny days so alienating.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Pitchfork,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Strong longshore currents can sweep swimmers and surfers into rip currents, piers, jetties and other hazardous areas.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
In the 1990s, FDOT concluded that I-395, the mile-long elevated highway built in the late 1960s to connect the new Interstate 95 and the MacArthur Causeway, was hazardous and structurally and functionally obsolete.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The bloc doesn’t have a mechanism to expel a wayward member, but Western diplomats told me that brazen electoral theft would inaugurate a perilous new era.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Four astronauts are preparing for a perilous return through Earth's atmosphere to make a splashdown near California and put the finishing touches on a moon-circling mission that will etch their names in history.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even if the Bengals prefer to rely on Carter and Knight’s development, risky but not crazy, the lack of pedigree surrounding them is startling.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The researchers also cautioned that all-night broadband noise may be especially risky for children, who spend significantly more time in REM sleep.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Menacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/menacing. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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