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
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Recent Examples of menace
Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
Hornets assistant and 2026 Summer League head coach Chris Jent wants Kalkbrenner to be himself on the offensive end of the court, but to be a menace on defense.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 July 2025
David Remnick, New Yorker, 21 June 2025
Potentially dangerous animals menaced the survivalists.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 13 June 2025
Chris McMullen, Space.com, 11 July 2025
Mark Strong’s menacing villain is a bit of a drip, and the finale devolves into CG overkill.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for menace
Noun
Now, as difficult searches for more than 160 still missing enter a sixth day, communities along the Guadalupe River are left to reconcile how to pick up the pieces around a waterway that remains both a wellspring and a looming menace.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
Hornets assistant and 2026 Summer League head coach Chris Jent wants Kalkbrenner to be himself on the offensive end of the court, but to be a menace on defense.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 July 2025
Verb
Since seizing power, in 1979, Iran’s theocracy has menaced its more than ninety million citizens and the wider region.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 21 June 2025
Potentially dangerous animals menaced the survivalists.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 13 June 2025
Adjective
Naturally, the latter's lightsaber is a menacing red.
—Chris McMullen, Space.com, 11 July 2025
Mark Strong’s menacing villain is a bit of a drip, and the finale devolves into CG overkill.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for menace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for menace
Noun
-
The threat to cancel the recess could push senators to avoid stonewalling appointments.—
Miriam Waldvogel,
The Hill,
20 July 2025
-
Efforts to recall lawmakers have struggled to go from a mere threat to an actual vote in recent years.—
Clara Hendrickson,
Freep.com,
19 July 2025
Adjective
-
People in this state search for a story that explains why everything suddenly feels uncanny and ominous.—
Rachel Aviv,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
-
Some commentators labeled his speech unduly bellicose; others applauded his courage to define ominous realities.—
Robert Schmuhl,
Chicago Tribune,
20 July 2025
Adjective
-
More dangerous heat waves The Great Lakes region warmed substantially faster in the six years since the last assessment than it did in decades prior, the report shows.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
-
Here's what each means, according to the NWS: Heat advisory: A heat advisory is the lowest level and is issued for dangerous heat conditions that are not expected to reach the criteria for a more serious alert.—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
That’s the unfortunate dual-use conundrum associated with contemporary AI, allowing AI to be used for goodness and also for badness (see my analysis of the dangers of dual-use AI at the link here).—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
And a report released Thursday by Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, looking at the dangers of fragrances specifically, found that over 98% of fragrance chemicals either lack basic safety data or are classified as high or potentially high concern by scientific authorities.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
Across the 14-track LP, the producer fuses club beats, acidic bars, and Middle Eastern percussion into a slightly sinister shade of electronica.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
18 July 2025
-
Lex outmaneuvers the titular hero for most of Superman, turning the public against him by uncovering the entirety of the sinister message from his Kryptonian parents and orchestrating a political conflict for personal gain.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Fire crews sometimes allow lightning-strike fires to burn, and made the decision to do that on the Dragon Bravo Fire, intended to reduce hazardous fuels and vegetation along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
15 July 2025
-
Map of damage: See how the Texas floods unfolded and why Camp Mystic was in a hazardous location The death toll has risen to 129 on Saturday, including more than three dozen children.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
But in the second half, Sporting KC was more threatening and got two goals back thanks to penalty kicks from Dejan Joveljic and Santiago Muñoz.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
13 July 2025
-
And that turned Guatemala’s 80th-minute goal into a massively threatening moment.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Brown, like Espada, is often put in perilous predicaments while trying to discuss any of these developments.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
-
To a Washington bean counter, his loss might have looked like one tiny but welcome subtraction in a giant spreadsheet, but not in a region so prone to these perilous events that it’s known as Flash Flood Alley.—
Zeynep Tufekci,
Mercury News,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Menace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/menace. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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