Thesaurus results for 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

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 After five shootings in less than a week left at least 46 people dead, South Africa is wrestling with how to tackle a spike in gun crime that threatens to undo recent progress in reducing its notoriously high murder rate. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 Now, the growing popularity of AI search with consumers threatens to reverse that progress. — Dax Dasilva, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 Trump retains enormous influence among the Republican voters who powered his ascent, even as dissatisfaction with his leadership threatens candidates who must appeal beyond his most committed supporters. — Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026 Jay cites the scene in which Tommy DeVito (played by Joe Pesci) threatens Billy Batts (Frank Vincent) with increasingly outrageous acts of violence, turning the mobster’s menace into dark comedy. — John Kennedy, VIBE.com, 30 Sep. 2026 The upheaval, providers and advocates say, threatens the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the nation. — Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 El Niño threatens soy and corn harvests in the south while plunging savannahs and rainforests into drought and sparking wildfires. — Dan Restrepo, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026 Mayor Mamdani advised New Yorkers to take extra precautions this weekend as an approaching nor’easter threatens to inundate New York City with heavy rain and wind gusts. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026 The danger comes when that instinct threatens to prevent kids from appropriate identity exploration, safe failures, and finding their own way in the world. — Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 24 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for threatens

endangers

Verb

However, the work, done with Tanzanian government partners, helps track threatened species and monitor human activity that endangers the region’s wildlife, making the few cameras lost in the process all the more worth it.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
In response to that case, a biotech CEO recently warned in these pages that letting courts and politicians second-guess the FDA’s scientific judgment endangers the whole drug pipeline.

— Julie F. Kay, STAT, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of endangers

Browse Nearby Words

threatening

threatens

threats

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Threatens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threatens. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of threatens

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Luddite

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes