Synonyms of threaten

threaten

verb

ˈthre-tᵊn 

as in to endanger

to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on

the powerful hurricane continues to threaten the southern coastline

Synonyms & Similar Words

• endanger
• menace
• hang (over)
• jeopardize
• imperil
• hover (over)
• impend (over)
• overhang
• hazard
• peril

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of threaten

If tariffs threatened your business model tomorrow, leadership teams would immediately begin assessing exposure, modeling scenarios, communicating with stakeholders and developing mitigation plans. — Tynesia Boyea-Robinson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

The embargo threatens Saudi oil exports that have been rerouted to the Red Sea to compensate for the loss of supplies through Hormuz. — Spencer Kimball,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 22 July 2026

Pollack said the parties would notify the judge if problems emerged that threatened the date. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 July 2026

One male character boasts of amassing a harem by offering food to the starving and threatening to murder the unwilling. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026