PERILS Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

perils 1 of 2

noun

plural of peril

as in threats

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

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perils

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of peril

as in endangers

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

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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 perils

Noun

Corus Entertainment Gossling knows the perils and profits of traditional pay TV and has positioned the Canadian broadcast giant to revamp its business model for the streaming age. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 OpenAI and Anthropic’s leaders write at length about how AI’s risks and perils must be carefully studied for the sake of humanity. — Matthew Sun, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026 Whereas many tech leaders have, like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, touted the benefits of AI, many have also expressed concern about its perils. — Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026 Yet despite years of warnings from the park’s visitors, attorneys and medical experts about the perils of riding X2, officials at the theme park – located in Valencia, California – and state regulators allowed the attraction to continue operating. — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 Teenage e-bikers on an Oakland County airport runway last week forced a pilot to abort his landing, taking the potential perils of e-bike misuse to a whole new level. — Susan Bromley, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2026 The train is, of course, a classic example of the perennial perils of sunk costs; abandoning the line seems absurd (even to us) given how much money would be written off. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 This array of perils suggests that the gate closure has less to do with the passions around the Middle East than with domestic politics of appeasement. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Aug. 2026 Starring Harriet Slater and Arsema Thomas as the climbers, the two are joined by Tom Brittney as their tour guide, who warns them of the perils of their journey. — Niya Doyle, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026

Verb

The rally in a swing district illustrates the benefits and perils Trump brings to his party’s candidates. — Cleve R. Wootson Jr, Washington Post, 22 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for perils

Noun

Players have revealed their concerns about harassment and death threats reaching a traumatizing level.

— Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Still, the threats have increased for the islands of Niihau and Kauai because the storm's forecast track has shifted steadily eastward, the National Hurricane Center said.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of threats

Verb

But the department has been running into opposition by landowners, environmental groups, Native American tribes and others who argue that the rapid construction endangers environmental and religious sites and a way of life along the border.

— Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Refusing to do so, Luis stirs a rivalry and potentially endangers his own employment.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 July 2026

Definition of endangers

Noun

Hearings revealed engineers had raised concerns about the dangers of cold weather on the O-rings, but management ignored the warnings.

— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
The frenetic pace of updates coupled with the lack of clarity around AI regulation has stoked concerns about the dangers of advanced AI models that are continuously getting more capable.

— Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of dangers

Verb

Ukraine’s former defense minister is launching a military tech company backed by Palantir CEO Alex Karp, a decision that risks alienating Kyiv’s European backers.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Such an operation risks the significant loss of American life, huge costs to Iranian civilians, and disorder across the entire region.

— JAMES F. JEFFREY, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of risks

Verb

Trump is putting himself center stage in the midterms with a Dallas convention, even as his low approval rating threatens to drag down GOP candidates.

— Zac Anderson, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Against this microcosm of the class war Lee sets the emergence of artificial intelligence, which threatens to further destabilize labor across a range of industries — including his own.

— Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of threatens

Browse Nearby Words

perilous

perils

perimeter

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“Perils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perils. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of perils

noun

verb

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