Synonyms of threatens

threatens

verb

present tense third-person singular of threaten

as in endangers

to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on

the powerful hurricane continues to threaten the southern coastline

Synonyms & Similar Words

• endangers
• menaces
• hangs (over)
• jeopardizes
• hovers (over)
• imperils
• impends (over)
• overhangs
• hazards
• perils

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of threatens

When her brother’s behavior threatens the family’s future, Maria Anna secretly takes his place and performs under his name to the same stunning effect. — Ed Meza, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Still, experts with the private AccuWeather service warned that flooding from Isaias threatens southwestern North Carolina and surrounding communities. — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026

Their presence there threatens a crucial alternative shipping route to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks on ships have curtailed traffic. — Sally Abou Aljoud, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

But just when the atmosphere starts to settle into a specific style, the movie repeatedly threatens to accordion away from itself. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026

That issue has attracted international attention as AI threatens to redistribute national income toward profit and away from wages, potentially eroding labor income as a source of tax revenue. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Eventually, the great hip-hop swindle gets out of hand, and threatens to break up Billy’s relationship with longtime sweetheart Mary (Lucy Halliday). — Al Shipley, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026

Continue reading … LES RUBIN — America’s debt crisis threatens our children’s future. — FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Noora ends up falling in love with Elia, and Mungiu, not for the first time, treats the close bond between two young women as a profoundly disruptive force for good, a moral alliance that threatens orthodoxies of every kind. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026