threat

1 of 2

noun

ˈthret How to pronounce threat (audio)
Synonyms of threat
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

threat

2 of 2

verb

threated; threating; threats
archaic
: threaten

Synonyms of threat

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
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.
Noun
The breaches signal that AI’s expanding capabilities are already fueling the security threat experts long feared and even top developers can be caught off-guard by flaws their models can exploit. — Reuters, NBC news, 31 July 2026 The charging document also cited one of the many messages Dumarce sent to Cole, including some previously cited by Cole that included threats with pictures of her children. — Margaret Baker, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026 There’s also a growing recognition that Japan faces new and powerful threats. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026 As the threat of artificial intelligence continues to creep into the music industry, major record labels are proposing new guidelines for how music generated by artificial intelligence should be treated on the charts. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for threat

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English thret coercion, threat, from Old English thrēat coercion; akin to Middle High German drōz annoyance, Latin trudere to push, thrust

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of threat was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing threat

Rhymes for threat

See All Rhymes for threat

Browse Nearby Words

threaper
threat
threaten
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Threat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threat. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

threat

noun
ˈthret
1
: an expression of an intent to do harm
stop making threats
2
: something that threatens
the volcano was a threat to the village
3
: an indication of something impending
the sky held a threat of rain

Legal Definition

threat

noun
: an expression of an intention to injure another : menace sense 1
criminal laws against making terroristic threats

More from Merriam-Webster on threat

Nglish: Translation of threat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about threat

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