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
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
Now cuts to federal funding threaten efforts to prevent more cases and outbreaks.
—
Arkansas Online, 14 Apr. 2025
Instead, opponents of the job cuts are making arguments more in line with the Trump administration’s priorities by saying the cuts threaten nuclear energy, mineral production and expanding energy access.
—Lisa Friedman, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Weight-loss drugs threaten to change eating habits.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
President Trump, meanwhile, has labeled Tesla vandalism an act of domestic terrorism and threatened to send perpetrators to an El Salvador prison.
—Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for threaten
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Arkansas Online, 14 Apr. 2025
Instead, opponents of the job cuts are making arguments more in line with the Trump administration’s priorities by saying the cuts threaten nuclear energy, mineral production and expanding energy access.
—Lisa Friedman, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Weight-loss drugs threaten to change eating habits.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
President Trump, meanwhile, has labeled Tesla vandalism an act of domestic terrorism and threatened to send perpetrators to an El Salvador prison.
—Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for threaten
Cite this Entry
“Threaten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threaten. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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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