threatening 1 of 2

adjective

ˈthret-niŋ How to pronounce threatening (audio)
Definition of threateningnext
1
as in impending
giving signs of immediate occurrence economists warning of a threatening recession

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

threatening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of threaten
as in menacing
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on the powerful hurricane continues to threaten the southern coastline

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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 threatening
Adjective
Four other passengers, all minors, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, Cobb County police said. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 The University of Detroit Mercy says classes on its McNichols campus will resume Wednesday after suspicious packages that prompted building evacuations on Tuesday were determined to be non-threatening. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
Sheriff’s officials said Mullennix had a gun and a history of threatening neighbors. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The two countries have been mired in deadlocked trade negotiations, have sparred over the US threatening sanctions over India’s purchase of oil from Russia, and are now at loggerheads over immigration. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for threatening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threatening
  1. impending
  2. ominous
  3. dangerous
  4. menacing
  5. possible
  6. sinister
  7. hazardous
  8. endangering
Adjective
  • The seat The business class cabin is low-lit in blues and purples—a nice touch for the impending red eye—and the 30 seats are arranged in 7 rows of 1-2-1 configuration.
    — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Another impending free agent, the pitching guru oversaw one of baseball’s best rotations and that aforementioned surprisingly successful bullpen.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of impending
Adjective
  • As evening descends on Paris, there are ominous signs for what lies ahead tonight.
    — Elina Baudier Kim, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Once storms roll through, things will change with temperatures falling for the afternoon, light rain and drizzle around, and cloudy ominous skies.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of ominous
Adjective
  • When threatening phone calls begin and a dangerous fugitive surfaces in town, Jenny grows suspicious of everyone around her as the danger begins closing in.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
  • One of the reasons being an actor is both dangerous and a privilege is that your job is to think about all the different roads your life could take, and all the people that live inside you, and all your potential.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Verb
  • Carabello has two open cases, including one arrest for gun possession and another for menacing a man with a knife.
    — Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The midterm elections are looming and the first hurricane of the Atlantic Season is menacing the Gulf Coast.
    — Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of menacing
Adjective
  • The students who stepped forward when their teacher collapsed playing basketball in Michigan illustrate what becomes possible when CPR skills are taught before they are needed.
    — Meng Yang, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The film team had to come up with a strategy to capture as much as possible without interfering with Schnell’s challenge.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of possible
Adjective
  • Grace Carroll gives a poignant performance as the Nightingale—borne aloft with arched back and trembling, outstretched hands by other dancers, who play thorns that pierce her breast—and Adam Elmes makes a seductively sinister Dorian Gray.
    — Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Clark plays the daughter of Ursula (Jessica Chastain) and Russ (Jay Duplass), a young girl terrorized by a sinister figure who looks just like her mother, known as the titular Other Mommy.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of sinister
Adjective
  • The facility has sign for consumer advisory for undercooked food, and the potentially hazardous items are marked, but the sign is lacking asterisks.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The production was shut down in Livingston, Montana last Saturday when locals complained about the production’s impact on the Livingston food bank and improper warnings about hazardous stunts.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of hazardous
Verb
  • Zin is a Myanmar scholar who was detained in June and accused of endangering China’s national security.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The homeowner, who police say let her grandchild host the party at her home, was charged with violating the county's social host law and endangering the welfare of a child.
    — Katie Houlis, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of endangering

Browse Nearby Words

threatened
threatening
threatens
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Cite this Entry

“Threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threatening. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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