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
Others were thwarted when male jockeys boycotted or threatened to boycott if a woman was riding.
—
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 3 Jan. 2026
If the sky becomes threatening and thunder can be heard, find a safe place to shelter.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Jan. 2026
The man allegedly threatened to use a firearm, Gallupe said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2026
Their apartment building was in foreclosure; heat and hot water had become spotty, and someone was hanging up posters in the hallways threatening to bring in ICE.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for threaten
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show current usage.
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Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 3 Jan. 2026
If the sky becomes threatening and thunder can be heard, find a safe place to shelter.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Jan. 2026
The man allegedly threatened to use a firearm, Gallupe said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2026
Their apartment building was in foreclosure; heat and hot water had become spotty, and someone was hanging up posters in the hallways threatening to bring in ICE.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for threaten
Cite this Entry
“Threaten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threaten. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
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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