threatened; threatening
ˈthret-niŋ 
ˈthre-tᵊn-iŋ
1
: to utter threats against
2
3
: to announce as intended or possible
the workers threatened a strike
4
: to cause to feel insecure or anxious
felt threatened by his brother's success
Synonyms
Examples of threaten in a Sentence
The mugger threatened him with a gun.
She threatened to quit if they didn't give her a raise, but no one believed her.
Civil war has been threatening the country for years.
a marriage threatened by financial problems
Overfishing threatens the survival of certain fish species.
The latest news threatens trouble for the economy.
Recent Examples on the Web
The victim was taken to the hospital where he was treated for injuries not considered life threatening.
—
Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 3 July 2024
Now the marine biologist is dedicated to helping save them as overfishing threatens shark species with extinction.
—Meghan Pryce, CNN, 3 July 2024
Even if elected, Biden’s mental capacity will decline and thereby threaten the security of our nation.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 4 July 2024
After a half-dozen senior Justice Department officials threatened to resign, Trump backed off on appointing Clark, who supported his claims of voter fraud and had planned to send a Justice Department letter asking officials in Georgia not to certify those election results.
—David Rohde, NBC News, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for threaten 
Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 3 July 2024
Now the marine biologist is dedicated to helping save them as overfishing threatens shark species with extinction.
—Meghan Pryce, CNN, 3 July 2024
Even if elected, Biden’s mental capacity will decline and thereby threaten the security of our nation.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 4 July 2024
After a half-dozen senior Justice Department officials threatened to resign, Trump backed off on appointing Clark, who supported his claims of voter fraud and had planned to send a Justice Department letter asking officials in Georgia not to certify those election results.
—David Rohde, NBC News, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for threaten
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'threaten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near threaten
Cite this Entry
“Threaten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threaten. Accessed 14 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
threaten
verb
threat·en
ˈthret-ᵊn
threatened; threatening
ˈthret-niŋ
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to utter threats : make threats against
threaten trespassers with arrest
2
: to give signs or warning of
clouds threatening rain
3
: to be an imminent danger to : menace
hunger threatens the town
4
: to announce as intended or possible
the workers threatened a strike
threatened to buy a car
5
: to cause to feel insecure or anxious
felt threatened by his friend's success
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