THREATENED Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

threatened 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of threatened

as in endangered

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

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

Miami officials are investigating the unauthorized removal of nearly a dozen native mahogany trees along I-95 after families and environmental advocates found the threatened species cut down to stumps. — Abby Dodge, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 Expect instead that Lacey will be angry, threatened and furious. — Abigail Van Buren, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026

Verb

Attacks on Saudi oil facilities and export routes threatened to choke off supplies, drive up global oil prices and raise the cost of gasoline for Americans. — Becky Anderson, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026 The state budget, passed in July, threatened to make any local jurisdiction who voted to kill the project repay the North Carolina Department of Transportation for around $69 million the agency already spent on planning. — Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for threatened

Recent Examples of Synonyms for threatened

Adjective

Beluga whales native to the Cook Inlet on Alaska's coast are classified as an endangered species, and their population rapidly declined by nearly 80% from 1979 to 2018.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
The rangers had already been walking ahead of us with infrared lights to find the true star of the park—the endangered Belitung tarsier.

— Claire Turrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 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

Because it’s prosecuted by the state itself — rather than a traditional class-action — there’s no limit to the damages Tesla could be liable for if the state wins.

— Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 24 Sep. 2026
YouTube, along with Meta, was found liable in a separate trial in March for intentionally addicting a young woman and harming her mental health following a trial in Los Angeles.

— Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of liable

Adjective

Gemini May 21 – June 20 Sharing something creative may feel more vulnerable than usual today.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 29 Sep. 2026
The aim is to atone for the Catholic Church's failure to protect its youngest and most vulnerable members from predator priests.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 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

Experts blame the high toll on unsafe vehicles, widespread disregard for traffic regulations and inadequate emergency services.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Flores, a political newcomer, made his first national appearance at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas, touting his commitment to border security and accusing Gonzalez of allowing migrants to make the community unsafe.

— Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of unsafe

Adjective

Analysts say until there are clear guidelines on who can regulate prediction markets — possibly from the Supreme Court — DraftKings could be susceptible to headline volatility in the short term.

— Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Yet in the twentieth century, when countries around the world prioritized the suppression of all wildfires, many areas became overgrown and susceptible to firestorms.

— Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 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.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threatened. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of threatened

adjective

verb

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