RISKS Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

risks 1 of 2

noun

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

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risks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of risk

as in hazards

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

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as in endangers

to place in danger we refuse to risk our life savings on this investment scheme

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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 risks

Noun

Some production could be recovered once fields dry, making a rebound in Brazilian sugar content or faster harvesting one of the clearest downside risks to prices. — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026 Pros and cons of adjustable-rate mortgages Here's a closer look at adjustable-rate mortgage risks and advantages. — Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026 Opponents warn a single ‘Jewish’ ethnic box oversimplifies diverse Jewish histories and risks echoing past government tracking, amid elevated antisemitism and debate over religion, ancestry and culture. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 But for anyone disturbed by the way To Catch a Predator executes its faux-law enforcement busts, the movie risks becoming viscerally unpleasant. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026 But a 2023 study found that construction professionals perceived the fast-track strategy as posing a different set of risks, including construction errors and productivity declines, when better productivity is supposed to be the whole point. — Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026 When social media constantly reminds us there’s another metric to optimize, healthy self-improvement risks fueling self-criticism and anxiety around our bodies, health and self-image. — Jennifer Donnelly, Scientific American, 30 Aug. 2026 Investors now prioritize solutions that deliver measurable financial benefits, ensuring hotels can withstand future risks. — Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Nepal’s foreign minister told a press conference today that the country remained on high alert for fresh flooding risks. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

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 Cops are inbound, but Jacob risks his own freedom to give his ally a better chance at survival. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026 Eight months later, the White House’s deal with Maduro’s former vice president risks entrenching the people and policies that tanked the country’s economy in the first place. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2026 Heller’s 2012 post-apocalyptic novel centers on Hig, a pilot who risks everything in the hope of finding human connection. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026 Any increase to interest rates that could cool inflation also risks hurting the jobs market. — Damian J. Troise, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 The two sides were also in touch on monitoring a barrier lake that risks flooding and imperiling rescue workers. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 Investors are also betting on a future DeepSeek listing in the mainland, said Wayne Shiong, managing partner at Argo Venture Partners, as the startup risks an exodus of senior engineers without financial incentives to stay. — Anniek Bao,elaine Yu, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for risks

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

Technology analysts and traders are not buying the flood of warnings about the dangers of artificial intelligence and the need to slow down development that have recently come from frontier model platforms.

— Tobias Burns, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Fra Fee, as Joe, has a slightly harder task, since his role is almost entirely reactive; while Ethan bangs on mournfully about, effectively, the dangers of shagging your brother’s wife — well, who would have thought?

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of dangers

Verb

Orlando Bloom stars as a village blacksmith who ventures to Jerusalem with his dad (Liam Neeson) to defend the holy city.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
That distortion should gradually alter S301's orbit — because the star ventures so close to Sagittarius A*, those changes may become measurable within about a decade.

— Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of ventures

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

Verb

The administration confronts anger over rising costs, reclassified casualties and Brent crude near $95 a barrel, with gas prices and inflation squeezing Americans as Republicans try to protect narrow congressional majorities.

— Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
In the finale, Alice confronts Easton at his home and has to acknowledge that an entire cohort of people — cops, other wealthy men, even Easton’s own daughter — were complicit in his crimes.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of confronts

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risking

risks

risky

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Style

“Risks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/risks. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of risks

noun

verb

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