menace 1 of 4

as in threat
something that may cause injury or harm a loaded gun is a menace that this household doesn't need

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

menace

2 of 4

verb (1)

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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

menacing

3 of 4

adjective

1
2

menacing

4 of 4

verb (2)

present participle of menace

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of menace
Noun
Their formerly social puppy became a menace on the trails, usually between 6 and 18 months. Marisa Walker, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025 Allegedly Hitchcock’s personal favorite among his own films, and his first set in an everyday American small town, Shadow of a Doubt subverts the idealized wartime image of the U.S. with a grinning menace. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 29 July 2025
Verb
China, a rising power, subverted Hong Kong, menaced Taiwan, and sterilized Uyghur Muslims in camps, all while the liberal international order effectively shrugged and made its next purchase from Temu. Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2025 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
Adjective
With hulking opponents like the menacing Brock Wrath (Hall) standing in his way, Dax is driven by loyalty, redemption, and the desperate hope of rebuilding a shattered family. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 30 July 2025 McCray, therefore, was charged only with reckless endangerment, menacing and disorderly conduct at the time and was subsequently released. Danielle Wallace, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for menace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for menace
Noun
  • Renee Pesci, executive director of the Arts & Business Council of Miami, says that with the latest threats, the arts community has been mobilizing — organizing to show up at budget meetings and requesting meetings with the mayor and county commissioners.
    Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Of all the threats to their title defence, grief is perhaps the most unpredictable.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 16 Aug. 2025
  • After an ominous July jobs report – which also showed that hiring was much weaker than originally reported in May and June – the central bank was widely expected to cut interest rates at its meeting next month in a bid to recharge hiring.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • That said, the Revolution had promising spells of attacking play and even looked the more dangerous side in the first half.
    Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
  • In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are potentially dangerous in heavy rain.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The real danger is the undermining of one of the last great advantages the United States had over many of its competitors: policy stability.
    Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Removing and dismantling someone’s RV takes away their shelter from wind, rain and the dangers of the street, as well as their ability to store water and cook food.
    Sean Geary, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • For The Fin, his team worked to make the dim light extra grainy, giving it a particularly sinister quality.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2025
  • This turns out to be another name for Galactus, a surprisingly scary Marvel villain played with sinister sincerity by Ralph Ineson.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • The collapse of the bridge also caused hazardous debris to enter the Colorado River waterway.
    Wren Smetana, AZCentral.com, 9 Aug. 2025
  • The pace of the 2025 fires is reminiscent of the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season, which exposed millions of people in North America to hazardous smoke levels.
    Jun Wang, Space.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Nevertheless, the JPMorgan trading desk expects that a more threatening level in core, year-over-year inflation would mean a rate of 4.0%, rather than the 3.0% some economists are expecting from the next core CPI report.
    Sarah Min, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2025
  • At this moment, the prospect of an internet linked to our real identity has never felt so threatening.
    Albert Fox Cahn, The Atlantic, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Murphy only wants to escape and regain custody of his daughter, Penny, but becomes entangled in Clancy’s perilous gold smuggling scheme, facing threats from both the treacherous wilderness and potential betrayal within his own group.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025
  • The lack of comprehensive protections and support systems for athletes echoes the Wild West’s perilous landscape, where pioneers often had to fend for themselves amid uncertainty and danger.
    Jim Martin, Denver Post, 3 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Menace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/menace. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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