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
Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 8 June 2026
The victim were rushed by medics to Bellevue Hospital with wounds described as non life-threatening.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 10 June 2026
He was also charged with possessing a knife and threatening to kill a radiographer while being treated for a hand injury after the assault.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for threatening
Adjective
Authorities said his condition is not life-threatening.
—Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 8 June 2026
The victim were rushed by medics to Bellevue Hospital with wounds described as non life-threatening.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
Verb
Suriani is representing Pantos, Williams and other observers in Maine in a federal lawsuit that alleges their First Amendment rights were violated by federal agents who tried to intimidate them by recording their faces and license plates and threatening to add them to a domestic terrorism database.
—Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 10 June 2026
He was also charged with possessing a knife and threatening to kill a radiographer while being treated for a hand injury after the assault.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for threatening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threatening
Adjective
-
They will be spearheaded by Nuno Espirito Santo, an impending director of football, and majority shareholder David Sullivan.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
-
Day to day, ordinary Peruvians in the coastal cities and in the interior are dealing with escalating crime, fear of impending natural disasters, and corruption and incompetence at every level of government.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
What matters is the atmosphere Muir creates, which is as dark and ominous as that of any black-metal record, and even more unsettling for its alienness.—
Brad Sanders,
Pitchfork,
8 June 2026
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Yet oil futures have not skyrocketed to the dangerous levels forecasters feared — at least not yet.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Financial watchdogs view telecoms acting as dangerous regulatory arbitrage, fearing that seamless digital wallets are a backdoor for capital flight.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Santiago was charged with menacing a police officer and criminal possession of a weapon.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Some argue that the only way to stop Iran from menacing the region and its people is to crush this regime.—
Dennis Ross,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Hunters often lit blazing fires, which disoriented and frightened the elk, and as many animals as possible were killed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
The case initially iwas nvestigated as a possible drowning.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Firth is chilling, pushing his stern, fiercely intelligent demeanor in increasingly sinister directions and bringing nuance and gravity to the lengths Scanlon will go to fulfill his mandate, whatever the cost.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
-
The supernatural psychological horror, written and helmed by Aster, follows a family rocked by grief, who begins to experience sinister and inexplicable occurrences.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous surf and NEVER turn your back on the ocean.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
-
Tests revealed the water is contaminated with nitrate, which can come from fertilizer, animal manure or human sewage, and 1,2,3-trichloropropane, a hazardous chemical that was widely used in pesticides years ago.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Clendenning said releasing Zeinab from custody would pose an unacceptable risk of endangering the safety and welfare of the public.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
-
The hope is that such vehicles will act as force multipliers while being inexpensive enough to risk in dangerous situations, such as delivering ammunition, fuel, and rations under fire without endangering human lives.—
David Szondy
June 03,
New Atlas,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threatening. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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