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

Trump is putting himself center stage in the midterms with a Dallas convention, even as his low approval rating threatens to drag down GOP candidates. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Against this microcosm of the class war Lee sets the emergence of artificial intelligence, which threatens to further destabilize labor across a range of industries — including his own. — Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

The rise in diesel costs threatens to worsen a bout of elevated inflation that continues to weigh on shoppers and nudge central bankers toward a possible interest rate hike. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

Desperation is the defining mood, mostly sublimated and sometimes bursting through the surface, as when a man demanding his savings threatens self-immolation at the bank. — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026

Meanwhile, older software companies have been keen to exhibit their compatibility with AI algorithms even as the new kid on the block threatens their turf. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Marie’s secret past threatens to catch up with her, and she is forced to do everything in her power to preserve her new status as lady of the house in post-war anarchy. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile, a memory chip shortage threatens to squeeze its margins, its revenue growth is slowing, and even longtime Apple fans admit the maker of aspirational tech has lost some of its product design mojo. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Zambia’s main opposition leader was charged with treason and flown under armed guard to a maximum-security prison in a case that threatens to taint Lusaka’s image as a relatively stable southern African democracy. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026