1
as in impending
giving signs of immediate occurrence
economists warning of a threatening recession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
a threatening silence followed the loud thump in the adjoining motel room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury
threatening rocks lined that narrow stretch of the river through which we would be rafting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in menacing
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on
the powerful hurricane continues to threaten the southern coastline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of threatening
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2025
Officials found the child pornography after an investigation was launched into a threatening call made to a person involved with the search for two missing teens in Colorado, prosecutors said.
—Sara Schilling, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
The Palisades fire has garnered headlines, but the Hurst and Eaton fires have also been threatening very populated areas.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for threatening
Adjective
Brower was arrested and transported to Troop E where he was processed and charged with first-degree threatening display of a firearm and second-degree breach of peace.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2025
Officials found the child pornography after an investigation was launched into a threatening call made to a person involved with the search for two missing teens in Colorado, prosecutors said.
—Sara Schilling, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
Richard curses again, threatening Blum.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
The Palisades fire has garnered headlines, but the Hurst and Eaton fires have also been threatening very populated areas.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for threatening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threatening
Adjective
-
Managers at Kid Rock’s Nashville restaurant told staff to go home on a busy Saturday night to avoid an impending raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, according to local reports.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2025
-
The connective tissue to the previous films takes the form of the late, great Tony Todd, who before his death in November reprised his role as a wise coroner offering guidance to our characters, frantic to halt their impending doom.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2025
-
Back to battle once again for their lives and a giant cash prize, the wordless preview sees contestants facing a series of high-stakes situations, involving guns, fists and an ominous giant gumball machine.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
Maddison is responsible for dropping deep and pinging passes into dangerous areas, while Kulusevski and Bergvall are excellent ball-carriers.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
-
With all the drama unfolding at the Harrigan's, you could be forgiven for losing track of Harry's dangerous rescue mission.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
While investigating the case of a teenage girl left for dead in the woods, Luminița (34), a small-town police officer, risks being swallowed into a dark, sinister world, where the unlawful meets the occult.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
8 May 2025
-
The real-life School of Rock founder’s former students tell a more sinister story By Ezra Marcus Hats Off! Daniel Berulis, a cyber-security expert and employee of the National Labor Relations Board.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
3 May 2025
Adjective
-
The cities with some of the highest rates of poverty and the most people of color have borne the burden of the state’s hazardous waste facilities.—
Sarah McCoy,
Hartford Courant,
18 May 2025
-
The broad set-up doesn’t look close to hazardous, giddy excess yet.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
17 May 2025
Verb
-
Officers are rarely — if ever — punished for hitting or endangering bystanders.—
Shelby Grad,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Amanda Davila, 28, was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted in January of endangering the welfare of a child in relation to the death of 6-year-old Fajr Atiya Williams.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But before the summer was over, the other hero of the tale would prove to be the reconciliation process that was making the legislative win possible — a process with its origins in quite a different era of relations between Congress and the president.—
Ron Elving,
NPR,
17 May 2025
-
Anything that is possible to make international cinema more accessible is necessary and welcome.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
If the sky becomes menacing and thunder becomes audible, seek out a safe place to seek shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
17 May 2025
-
The movie itself is something of a trip; everything feels coated in a faint, menacing sheen of unreality, as if a slasher movie were just a wild twist or two away.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threatening. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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