as in to endanger
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on
the powerful hurricane continues to threaten the southern coastline
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of threaten
Directed by Yelena Popovic, Omar Epps plays a former gang leader moving away from his past, while old alliances, rival crews and police pressure threaten to pull him back in.
—
Essence, 31 Jan. 2026
When Farian refused, the duo threatened to reveal their secret; Farian then beat them to the punch, per the 2023 documentary Milli Vanilli.
—Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
However, Iranian officials in recent years have increasingly threatened to pursue the bomb.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
But a troubling trend threatens to undermine those goals, turning deeply personal trauma into a tradeable commodity and profit opportunity for hedge funds and Wall Street investors.
—Jaime Huff, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for threaten
Essence, 31 Jan. 2026
When Farian refused, the duo threatened to reveal their secret; Farian then beat them to the punch, per the 2023 documentary Milli Vanilli.
—Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
However, Iranian officials in recent years have increasingly threatened to pursue the bomb.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
But a troubling trend threatens to undermine those goals, turning deeply personal trauma into a tradeable commodity and profit opportunity for hedge funds and Wall Street investors.
—Jaime Huff, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for threaten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threaten
Verb
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While the issue was not resolved during Tuesday’s hearing, the judge at one point ordered a still photographer to be repositioned after concerns from Robinson’s lawyers about how he would be photographed, which could endanger his right to a fair trial.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Feb. 2026
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Gateway officials said last week the work would halt indefinitely on Friday if the feds don’t let the congressional dollars flow — a stoppage that will endanger the project and axe about 1,000 jobs.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Extreme heat fuels out of control bushfires Bushfires, fueled by the soaring temperatures, have menaced towns in the state of Victoria, prompting evacuations as volunteer firefighters attempted to douse flames around homes.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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The Chinese, too, are absolutely shocked that a great power is menacing a small neighbor and inflicting regime change by military force.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Threaten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threaten. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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