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
Relevance
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 threatens
Forty years later, Moscow is once again placing Chornobyl at immense risk — this time through a violent war of aggression that threatens to bring nuclear catastrophe back to Ukraine and Europe.
—
Benjamin MacK-Jackson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
But the consequences of a destabilized Mali, compounded by the wider fallout from the Iran war, are unlikely to stop at its borders and threatens to deepen a deteriorating security crisis across one of the world’s most volatile regions.
—Ulf Laessing, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
When her publisher threatens to cancel her contract, Livia escapes to the Hamptons to try and finish her latest book in the privacy of a secluded house.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
The practice contaminates the legal supply chain, threatens public health, and erases tax liability, industry insiders and officials say.
—Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Extinction currently threatens 29 of the world's 90 antelope species, according to Colossal, citing data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which finds declining populations in 62% of antelope species.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
In The Housemaid’s Secret, Millie (Sweeney) returns, taking a job keeping house for a woman she’s never allowed to see — only to discover the truth behind the locked door that threatens to expose secrets far darker than her own.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
That threatens to keep gas prices high and to push up overall inflation.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
And private preschool owners say the rush of 4-year-olds joining public schools threatens to cripple their businesses.
—Moriah Balingit, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Benjamin MacK-Jackson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
But the consequences of a destabilized Mali, compounded by the wider fallout from the Iran war, are unlikely to stop at its borders and threatens to deepen a deteriorating security crisis across one of the world’s most volatile regions.
—Ulf Laessing, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
When her publisher threatens to cancel her contract, Livia escapes to the Hamptons to try and finish her latest book in the privacy of a secluded house.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
The practice contaminates the legal supply chain, threatens public health, and erases tax liability, industry insiders and officials say.
—Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Extinction currently threatens 29 of the world's 90 antelope species, according to Colossal, citing data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which finds declining populations in 62% of antelope species.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
In The Housemaid’s Secret, Millie (Sweeney) returns, taking a job keeping house for a woman she’s never allowed to see — only to discover the truth behind the locked door that threatens to expose secrets far darker than her own.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
That threatens to keep gas prices high and to push up overall inflation.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
And private preschool owners say the rush of 4-year-olds joining public schools threatens to cripple their businesses.
—Moriah Balingit, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threatens
endangers
Verb
-
The teaser also reveals that the titular character has a huge company, which endangers millions with a drilling operation that goes too far.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Someone this unstable, whose behavior endangers the nation, should not remain in office.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Threatens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threatens. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
