risks 1 of 2

Definition of risksnext
plural of risk
as in threats
something that may cause injury or harm mountain climbing is a risk, but the thrill and challenge are worth it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

risks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of risk

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 risks
Noun
Proper humidifier placement protects your home and health by preventing mold, moisture damage, and safety risks. Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 7 Jan. 2026 The risks inherent in the LBO structure are exacerbated by the amount of debt PSKY must incur, its current financial position and future prospects, as well as the lengthy period to close the transaction – which PSKY itself estimates to be 12-18 months following signing. Todd Spangler, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026 Before embracing a project of this scale, the city owes its residents not just enthusiasm, but assurance — assurance that all reasonable alternatives have been considered, all risks fully weighed, and all voices genuinely heard. Michelle Grau, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026 Anything short of that risks disappointing investors who already have concerns about corporate earnings growth amid lower oil prices, government spending cuts, and uncertainty around investment in key economic diversification projects. Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 7 Jan. 2026 Yet this focus on the moment of capture risks obscuring the more consequential lesson. Cristina Guevara, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026 These examples show that disregarding the risks of natural hazards and climate change in Greenland courts disaster, both locally and globally. Paul Bierman, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026 The next time new science reveals that a chemical is much more toxic, or that the amount of pollution released from a factory had been underestimated and would cause legally unacceptable health risks, the agency would not be able to react. Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 Jan. 2026 The result is that real patients experience complications in real-time, without knowing risks that may have been uncovered in a clinical trial. Elizabeth B. Kim, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Nov. 2025
Verb
Massachusetts now risks repeating the same mistakes. Jennifer Nassour, Boston Herald, 27 Jan. 2026 But the most surprising change is different and now risks users losing their accounts. Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026 Machado, however, voiced deep reservations about Rodríguez’s leadership, warning that the transition risks falling short without a broader break from the Maduro-era government. Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026 Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on eight European nations that fiercely oppose his efforts to take Greenland; the bloc is debating how to respond, given that retaliation risks a spiraling economic conflict. Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Jan. 2026 Under these conditions, California risks losing investment to states with more predictable regulatory regimes, especially Texas. Claudia Nunes, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026 This move risks dangerous results from the military and security establishment in the country, as well as the substantial Cuban contingent working in the security sphere. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026 Both Tong and his counterpart in Rhode Island, Attorney General Peter Neronha, followed up with their own request on Monday which reiterated the developers’ claim that federal intervention risks raising costs for electric customers while upending thousands of local jobs. John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026 If truth continues to fracture and trust continues to decay, the world risks entering a period of chronic instability—politically, economically, and socially. Klaus Schwab, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for risks
Noun
  • Lemon was charged with conspiring to violate someone’s constitutional rights and violating the FACE Act, which prohibits the use of force or threats to intentionally interfere with someone expressing their First Amendment right to religion.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Amodei’s essay covers a lot of ground, from existential threats to fighting autocracy to saving jobs.
    Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • At over 1,800 lives lost per year, winter vehicle-crash fatalities are four times greater than the total number of all other weather hazards combined, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
    Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Beach hazards statements will remain in effect until conditions improve and are expected to be re-evaluated regularly.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • To avoid a flareup that endangers the US-UK trade agreement, Starmer aims to downplay Britain’s Chinese imports and highlight its services industries.
    Brendan Murray, Bloomberg, 27 Jan. 2026
  • It was described as a dangerous precedent that endangers civilian lives.
    Phil Helsel, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The Doomsday Clock is different in that it is meant to be purely symbolic and does not offer a specific prediction of end times, but rather an assessment of the global dangers by some of the world's leading scientists.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The proceeds from the purchase will support an early childhood curriculum emphasizing altruism and empathy, designed to inoculate young minds against the dangers of extremism and hate before such poison can take root.
    Elliott Broidy, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • As with any mission that ventures beyond near-Earth orbit, portions of the journey will be agonizingly isolating.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
  • That version, directed by Luis Llosa, focused more on thrills and chills, with a plot centered on a documentary crew that ventures into the Amazon rainforest to help a snake hunter (Voight) track down a legendary — and lethal — serpent.
    Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • We are told that to refuse this threatens the existence of the university.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
  • The latest Democratic uproar over ICE tactics threatens a similarly broad spending package that also includes funding for the rest of the government, including the departments of Defense, Education, Health, Labor and Transportation.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Enoch confronts the celestial hosts, all wearing capes of swastika red under an oppressive horizon of jutting lightning and glaring orange mountains.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
  • The darkly comedic drama confronts reality, privacy, and the delusions fueling our ever-changing world.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The weather service reports that chances for snow, sleet and wintry precipitation will first begin in western Oklahoma on Friday morning, then spread north and east through the day.
    Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 23 Jan. 2026
  • The rainfall chances in South Florida over the next seven days.
    Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Risks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/risks. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

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