jeopardize
verb
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Jeopardize Has a Controversial History
It may be hard to believe that jeopardize was once controversial, but in 1870 a grammarian called it "a foolish and intolerable word," a view shared by many 19th-century critics. The preferred word was jeopard, which first appeared in print in the 14th century. (The upstart jeopardize didn't arrive until the late 16th century.) In 1828, Noah Webster himself declared jeopardize to be "a modern word, used by respectable writers in America, but synonymous with jeopard, and therefore useless." Unfortunately for the champions of jeopard, jeopardize is now much more popular.
Examples of jeopardize in a Sentence
Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2025
Stronger relations with Russia could also jeopardize the U.S.'s role mediating peace negotiations with Ukraine and draw out the war.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
That would jeopardize 10,000 jobs in and around the small community of Lutherstadt Wittenberg in the country’s economically depressed eastern region, which has already been hurt by pullbacks at the company.
—Melissa Eddy, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
While these objectives aim to solidify America’s global economic dominance, one—lowering corporate tax rates—may inadvertently jeopardize the others unless implemented with precision.
—George Strobel, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Jeopardize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jeopardize. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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