as in threat
something that may cause injury or harm
a loaded gun is a menace that this household doesn't need
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to endanger
to place in danger
menaced the children by leaving them in the car unattended
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to threaten
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on
stockpiles of nuclear weapons that continue to menace the inhabitants of this planet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of menace
Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
In 2021, Kennedy had written in a book that measles — a virus the CDC says kills nearly 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children who contract it — wasn’t the menace that the government proclaimed.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
Extreme heat fuels out of control bushfires Bushfires, fueled by the soaring temperatures, have menaced towns in the state of Victoria, prompting evacuations as volunteer firefighters attempted to douse flames around homes.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for menace
Noun
Shawn Hatosy is particularly feral here, injecting real menace into an otherwise absurd premise.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
In 2021, Kennedy had written in a book that measles — a virus the CDC says kills nearly 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children who contract it — wasn’t the menace that the government proclaimed.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
There’s real, sweat-inducing tension to scenes where Esther, alone at home with her children, is encircled and menaced by mobs of men preying on the easiest of targets.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
Extreme heat fuels out of control bushfires Bushfires, fueled by the soaring temperatures, have menaced towns in the state of Victoria, prompting evacuations as volunteer firefighters attempted to douse flames around homes.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for menace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for menace
Noun
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When the soil is warm and dry and the last threat of frost has passed, focus on pruning, prepping and feeding your plants.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The organization's latest concern is AI in the classroom, which Moms for Liberty sees as a threat to parental control over education.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Both Kendra and Joseph were charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and four counts of false imprisonment, the Tontitown Police Department announced March 20.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Other projects have or would have endangered the bleached sandhill skipper butterfly, the sage-grouse, and steamboat buckwheat.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An extended strike threatened to disrupt the industry, which could ultimately drive up prices, said Jennifer Martin at Colorado State University’s animal sciences department.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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And that is totally threatened by these new technologies.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Israel, meanwhile, saw Nasser’s rising influence across the Arab world as a danger, and wanted an excuse to cut him down, and to target Palestinian fedayeen militants who were operating in Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula, which were both controlled by Egypt at the time.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Although winds will be mostly light, between 5 and 10 mph, the dry air combined with very dry vegetation will result in a continuation of elevated fire danger.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Attempts to resolve ecological responsibility through strict localism often risk sliding into cultural provincialism or nationalist enclosure—fantasies of purity that ignore how deeply entangled our lives already are.—
Manuela Moscoso,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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Be sure to weigh costs, storage needs and risk tolerance before making a decision.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Menace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/menace. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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