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
Will Carless, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2025
However, the games did a great job on their own by painting a complex picture of the big extraterrestrial menace.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Dec. 2024
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 21 Dec. 2024
With an elevation nudging 7,000 feet, Flagstaff has never endured the triple-digit temperatures that menace many other cities in Arizona.
—Joan Meiners and Katie Worth, The Arizona Republic, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for menace 
Noun
Very few experts on domestic extremism truly understand the movement, which adherents call a political philosophy, but critics decry as everything from a thuggish menace to an evil army bent on destroying America.
—Will Carless, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2025
However, the games did a great job on their own by painting a complex picture of the big extraterrestrial menace.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Dec. 2024
Verb
Its vast armies and growing nuclear arsenal menaced America.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 21 Dec. 2024
With an elevation nudging 7,000 feet, Flagstaff has never endured the triple-digit temperatures that menace many other cities in Arizona.
—Joan Meiners and Katie Worth, The Arizona Republic, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for menace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for menace
Noun
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Other company leaders voiced their concerns about the threat of tariffs ahead of Saturday’s order.—
Kristian Burt,
CNBC,
2 Feb. 2025
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The methodology is almost exactly the same, but the warning to all 2.5 billion users of Gmail remains the same: be aware of the threat and don’t let your guard down for even a minute.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In Colombia at least 80 people have been killed, including civilians, and thousands have been displaced over four days due after the National Liberation Army, known by its Spanish initials ELN, launched an assault in the Catatumbo region last week, endangering the current peace agreement.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
24 Jan. 2025
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In the 1990s, state and federal agencies listed the tiny 3-inch fish as endangered.—
Paul Rogers,
The Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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That shortlist provided constant fodder for conversation, and threatened to overwhelm the typical amiable pre-screening chatter about the actual program of films.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
3 Feb. 2025
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The two nations threatened retaliation of their own, raising the prospects of a broader regional trade war.—
Fabiola Sánchez,
Twin Cities,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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No player made more than the Netherlands international’s 27 defensive actions, but this was by design rather than luck with his manager fully aware of the danger Bournemouth pose down the flanks.—
Mark Carey,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
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For residents, parents and students, the danger is clear and present every day.—
Letters To The Editor,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Changing other content, according to the document, would require review by an expert precisely because any alterations would risk scientific integrity.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2025
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Hospitals that don’t comply with the order would risk losing funding through Medicare and Medicaid, which could be financially crippling for almost any facility.—
Meg Wingerter,
The Denver Post,
31 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near menace
Cite this Entry
“Menace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/menace. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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