1
: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
2
: one that threatens
3
: an indication of something impending
the sky held a threat of rain
Examples of threat in a Sentence
Noun
He was willing to use violence and threats to get what he wanted.
She ignored their threats and continued to do what she felt was right.
a country under threat of civil war
Recent Examples on the Web
Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
Navalny, who had organized anti-government street protests and used his blog and social media to expose alleged corruption in the Kremlin and in Russian business, was viewed as one of the most serious threats to Putin before his death.
—Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
There’s been constant friction, thanks in part to political pressure and the clout of developers, and one of the many future threats to the core mission is the need for more housing throughout the state.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Roads like Brook Forest could be so loaded up that people might drive on both sides of the road to exit in a real fire threat.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for threat
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Noun
Trump later dropped that threat.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
Navalny, who had organized anti-government street protests and used his blog and social media to expose alleged corruption in the Kremlin and in Russian business, was viewed as one of the most serious threats to Putin before his death.
—Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
There’s been constant friction, thanks in part to political pressure and the clout of developers, and one of the many future threats to the core mission is the need for more housing throughout the state.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Roads like Brook Forest could be so loaded up that people might drive on both sides of the road to exit in a real fire threat.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for threat
Cite this Entry
“Threat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threat. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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