PERIL Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

peril 1 of 2

noun

ˈper-əl

Definition of peril

as in threat

something that may cause injury or harm life is full of unexpected perils

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in risk

the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil they were unhappy about sending their son into peril overseas

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

peril

2 of 2

verb

ˈper-əl

as in to endanger

to place in danger a tribute to the men and women who, as firefighters, peril their lives daily

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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 peril

Noun

Norway’s government wants to get a handle on both the promise and peril of AI glasses, and is proposing that parliament enact a temporary ban on them in some places. — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Love Days gets inside the head of the disembodied, Medusa-like woman who uses her work to escape the perils of her own subjectivity. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026 Fox calls the deaths tragic but rejects responsibility Covering any armed conflict by definition involves peril. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026 If an Iranian missile kills large numbers of Americans or an Iranian attack shuts down critical Gulf infrastructure, the United States might opt to finally use ground forces or destroy Iran’s electric grid, putting the regime in peril. — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for peril

Recent Examples of Synonyms for peril

Noun

Altman was careful to say that Astra, OpenAI’s current flagship model, does not pose an existential threat.

— Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Jamal allegedly promised to protect the Feeding Our Future operatives against the threat of prosecution, took their money, and then turned some of them over to investigators.

— Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of threat

Noun

Applicants can expect checks into their identity, source of funds, finances and assets, jurisdictional risk, as well as their criminal, reputational, and immigration history.

— Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Thirteen are rated at very high risk or in default, and 23 have no rating from the big agencies, which cuts them from international bond markets.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of risk

Verb

Against that backdrop, pupils' complaints that education funding shortfalls are endangering their futures have found a sympathetic audience.

— NICOLAS GARRIGA, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
Against that backdrop, pupils’ complaints that education funding shortfalls are endangering their futures have found a sympathetic audience.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of endanger

Noun

While such cardiovascular dangers are real, Harvard Medical School experts say there's no scientifically valid evidence behind the common belief that caffeine can stunt a person's growth.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Gavin Francis From its origins in the classical physique and homoerotic spectacle, bodybuilding today often involves the use of steroids whose dangers are not properly understood.

— Conor Heffernan, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of danger

Noun

However, even following last week’s news, there have still been obstacles to overcome — issues that appeared to have thrown the bout into jeopardy.

— Tom Burrows, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
For Tampa, what was even more dispiriting than falling to 0-3 was that quarterback Baker Mayfield left with a dislocated thumb that puts his active league-high streak of 54 consecutive starts in jeopardy.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of jeopardy

Verb

In several messages quoted in the ruling, Seaver allegedly threatened Nozell and other people connected to Parton’s estate.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
As a child of parents who bred him to be the next Green Lantern, John knows full well the conflict between conscience and instinct, a ceaseless war that threatens to explode to the surface.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of threaten

Noun

Nothing seems to be too much trouble for the staff who clearly have an affection for the property and its owners, with many having worked there for decades.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
The financial troubles are especially concerning because the Los Angeles Unified School District has failed to meet past budget reduction targets, the report concluded, and the stakes have become higher, with solutions more painful to carry out.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of trouble

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peril

periled

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“Peril.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peril. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of peril

noun

verb

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