as in threat
something that may cause injury or harm
a loaded gun is a menace that this household doesn't need
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to endanger
to place in danger
menaced the children by leaving them in the car unattended
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to threaten
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
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
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of menace
Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Often, menace is not reticent to show itself.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 24 Jan. 2026
Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
Pop-culture figures like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman are so ubiquitous as to be both movie characters and parodies of themselves, and this DuckTales episode is good for any kids that like monsters but aren’t quite ready to be menaced by them yet.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Barry Levitt, Time, 12 Dec. 2025
Even Savage’s jokes about menacing opps riding mass transit tacitly acknowledge risk.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 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 menace
Noun
Whoever undergoes the deliverance ceremony is thereafter haunted by a shape-shifting menace invisible to everyone but the person being pursued.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Often, menace is not reticent to show itself.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
The costume was designed by Adrian Adolph Greenburg, who went by Gilbert Adrian professionally, and became the one used in the film after an original was deemed not menacing enough.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
Pop-culture figures like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman are so ubiquitous as to be both movie characters and parodies of themselves, and this DuckTales episode is good for any kids that like monsters but aren’t quite ready to be menaced by them yet.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Advertisement Here, Rob reveals his true menacing nature, and convinces Frankie that Betsy's falling is his fault.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 12 Dec. 2025
Even Savage’s jokes about menacing opps riding mass transit tacitly acknowledge risk.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
The Chinese, too, are absolutely shocked that a great power is menacing a small neighbor and inflicting regime change by military force.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 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 menace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for menace
Noun
-
Democrats see the threat of DHS shuttering in two weeks as leverage in negotiations, given that the department also oversees the Coast Guard and emergency response to natural disasters.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Lemon was charged with conspiring to violate someone’s constitutional rights and violating the FACE Act, which prohibits the use of force or threats to intentionally interfere with someone expressing their First Amendment right to religion.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
One prospect is as ominous as that of a government capturing its universities for political purposes — a government encouraging antisemitism under the guise of opposing it.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
-
But experts warn that the Iranian regime has learned an ominous lesson.—
Ilan Berman,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
More than a billion phones are now ineligible for security updates at a time when the threat landscape has never been more dangerous.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The church opened its warming center over the weekend, anticipating the arrival of the winter storm and the dangerous drop in temperatures.—
Leondra Head,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The usage has also led to improved community engagement surrounding the dangers of celebratory gunfire, an issue that has plagued Kansas City for years, Becchina said.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
12 Jan. 2026
-
This windfall and the attendant political benefits for the governor have come at public expense, as the dangers of marijuana become tragically apparent.—
Cory Franklin,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The same sad and sinister menace occupying 1600 Penn.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The character was previously only seen from behind or in close-ups of his hands petting his sinister white kitty.—
Sezin Devi Koehler,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This week, a powerful winter storm dumped a hazardous mix of snow, ice, and sleet across much of the United States, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes, grounding flights, closing schools, and disrupting the lives of more than 200 million Americans.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Most areas in North Texas were covered in ice, sleet and snow, creating hazardous conditions.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But there’s no doubt that the mid-2020s are feeling more threatening in many ways to much of the core audience than the late ‘90s did.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In addition, prosecutors say Doyle left three threatening voicemails sent across state lines that targeted the officer and the officer’s family, knowing the messages would be perceived as threats.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The crises that Sundance faces—the lingering shadow of the pandemic, the perilous state of theatrical exhibition—are hardly Sundance’s alone.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
-
That being said, investing in a single stock without thorough analysis can be perilous.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Menace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/menace. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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