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

Marshall’s voting history now threatens to become a flashpoint in his reelection bid. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026

This is important for healthcare companies because if a delay threatens a temperature-sensitive shipment, the package can be rerouted or returned to the sender before the medicine is compromised. — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 27 July 2026

Cancer treatment has sharply limited Biden’s post-White House life even as his upcoming memoir threatens to reopen debates over his health and presidency. — Cleve R. Wootson Jr, Washington Post, 26 July 2026

Dayton, Ohio, Fort Worth, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona, are just a sampling of the cities that have filed lawsuits against the military claiming PFAS threatens their water sources. — Austin Fast, USA Today, 26 July 2026

Yet cycling’s code of ethics is both large and indistinct; the scale of Pogačar’s dominance threatens its traditions. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 July 2026

The clash threatens to further disrupt global trade, as Houthis vow to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint carrying roughly 12% of world commerce and major container traffic. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026

In the view of the writer Amitav Ghosh, one subject especially threatens to elude fiction’s comprehension. — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

Jones agreed, saying the disclosure system exists precisely to keep investors on equal footing, and that loosening it, even on a voluntary basis, threatens that. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 20 July 2026