threatened 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of threatenednext
as in endangered

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threatened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of threaten
as in menaced
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on the powerful hurricane continues to threaten the southern coastline

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 threatened
Adjective
Celebración de los Árboles Lisle, Illinois At The Morton Arboretum, Celebración de los Árboles (September 26-27) sheds light on the arboretum’s conservation work to protect threatened trees and ecosystems in Latin America. — Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 15 Sep. 2026 Tucson, Arizona, Santa Fe, New Mexico and Cedar City, Utah are among the cities in threatened zones. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
Indeed, in the Pacific, hurricanes have threatened Hawaii to an unusually high degree this season. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026 In several messages quoted in the ruling, Seaver allegedly threatened Nozell and other people connected to Parton’s estate. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for threatened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threatened
  1. endangered
  2. menaced
  3. liable
  4. vulnerable
  5. imperiled
  6. unsafe
  7. susceptible
  8. exposed
Adjective
  • The new study comes about six months after the emperor penguin was declared an endangered species.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • If there are any issues with a particular trail that Coles has identified needs repairs — like if an endangered species is known to live in a creek next to the trail — the Forest Service could deny his request, thus leaving the trail unmaintained.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of endangered
Verb
  • He was menaced in the English countryside last month by a man shouting at him from 50 yards away, according to British outlet The Telegraph.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 June 2026
  • The little people are being menaced by a dark force—a force with power, money, and very few moral inhibitions.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
Definition of menaced
Adjective
  • Unusually, adult children can (in rare cases) be liable to pay for parents’ care if the parents run out of money.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Seydoux plays Lucy, an experimental pianist who moves with her beloved but panic attack-liable husband Philip (Laurence Rupp) and young son to a rural farmhouse in Bavaria.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of liable
Adjective
  • The network of large bases that Washington built after the 1991 Gulf War is now vulnerable to Iranian drones and ballistic missiles, offering Tehran targets and leverage rather than deterring it from taking military action.
    — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Inflation risks mount India is among the countries most vulnerable to the supply disruptions caused by the Iran war.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of vulnerable
Adjective
  • Nearly 40% of Mount Pinos, lodgepole chipmunk, an imperiled subspecies of the lodgepole chipmunk, also live in roadless areas in California.
    — Mariah Meek, The Conversation, 15 June 2026
  • There are many issues in the last year that show the commission needs a change at the top, including the Florida black bear hunt and the recent failure of the commissioners to fully, completely and finally stop the capture of wild imperiled and threatened marine life for exhibit.
    — Joe Murphy, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
Definition of imperiled
Adjective
  • Red means the location is closed, a sign of unsafe operating conditions and severe destruction to the restaurant or nearby communities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The provider had been involved in a fatal mistake, the lawsuit alleges, but KCFD delayed a hearing while unsafe practices continued.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsafe
Adjective
  • Although generally hardy, the plant is susceptible to certain diseases, including anthracnose and bacterial soft rot, as well as pests such as spider mites, caterpillars, and whiteflies.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
  • But neither the agency nor industry players have banned bets that could be susceptible to manipulation or raised the minimum age to bet on prediction markets to 21, the source said, up from the current minimum of 18.
    — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of susceptible
Adjective
  • The end result would be a gassy surface shining as brightly as a more exposed black hole but with the Balmer break and smooth red hump of a 5,000-kelvin star, de Graaff and Naidu theorized.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Morgan Stanley said Equinix and Digital Realty are less exposed because their facilities average roughly 5 to 10 megawatts, far below the gigawatt-scale AI campuses planned by hyperscalers and neocloud operators.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of exposed

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threatened
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Cite this Entry

“Threatened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threatened. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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