1
as in threat
something that may cause injury or harm
mountain climbing is a risk, but the thrill and challenge are worth it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in danger
the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil
children living in poverty are considered at risk for a number of medical and developmental problems
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to venture
to take a chance on
Colette didn't want to risk running out of food for her party, so she bought twice what she thought she would actually need
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to endanger
to place in danger
we refuse to risk our life savings on this investment scheme
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples of risk in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 6 Sep. 2024
Potential financing tools are wide ranging and might include loans for specific projects, debt to help a company enter a new market, or loan guarantees for communities perceived as having credit risk—to name a few.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 6 Sep. 2024
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
Rather than risk a costly invasion, the Imperial Japanese Navy had planned to cut the country’s supply lines to Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast, blocking its use as a base and strangling it into submission.
—Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for risk 
Noun
Brands have created a reliable and safe business by dictating 501 look-a-like styles to consumers of a certain age instead of encouraging them to take risks and embracing trends even though this goes against what is happening on the runway.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 6 Sep. 2024
Potential financing tools are wide ranging and might include loans for specific projects, debt to help a company enter a new market, or loan guarantees for communities perceived as having credit risk—to name a few.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 6 Sep. 2024
Verb
After a successful spin, a contestant can either choose to keep pressing their luck or pass the spin to another contestant to avoid risking a Whammy.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
Rather than risk a costly invasion, the Imperial Japanese Navy had planned to cut the country’s supply lines to Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast, blocking its use as a base and strangling it into submission.
—Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for risk
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'risk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near risk
Cite this Entry
“Risk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/risk. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share