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

Gemini Rising If words and ideas didn’t hold any power, people wouldn’t feel so threatened by them. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026

Water began to flood the streets of Baja California Sur on Monday hours after residents boarded up homes and set up embankments as Hurricane Polo bore down on the peninsula Monday, threatening high winds, floods and mudslides. — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) could help stop the uncontrolled proliferation of satellites in Earth orbit, which threatens to erase stars from the sky, astronomers hope. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Last summer, SpaceX president Claudia Sheinbaum threatened legal action against SpaceX, citing contamination caused by the company’s rockets. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026