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
And the Knicks did threaten as Boston’s offensive production tailed off over the final two quarters.
—
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
Block said Floridians’ First Amendment rights are threatened whenever government information is limited.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
Trailing 7-0, San Marcos threatened to get back in the game, scoring three runs in the fourth.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
Deputies responded about 2:39 p.m. to the 11000 block of Butte Creek Island Road in Butte Creek Canyon after a 911 caller reported the woman had threatened to kill a neighbor,the Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for threaten
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show current usage.
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Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
Block said Floridians’ First Amendment rights are threatened whenever government information is limited.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
Trailing 7-0, San Marcos threatened to get back in the game, scoring three runs in the fourth.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
Deputies responded about 2:39 p.m. to the 11000 block of Butte Creek Island Road in Butte Creek Canyon after a 911 caller reported the woman had threatened to kill a neighbor,the Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for threaten
Cite this Entry
“Threaten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threaten. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
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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