1
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
warns that the emergence of new viruses is one of the most menacing developments we face
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury
fears that the unemployment rate may be reaching menacing proportions
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in endangering
to place in danger
menaced the children by leaving them in the car unattended
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in threatening
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on
stockpiles of nuclear weapons that continue to menace the inhabitants of this planet
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of menacing
Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 26 Jan. 2025
The moment a fully healthy Griffin gets out there, the Huskies get longer and more athletic, can become more dynamic on offense, more menacing on defense, more experienced off the bench.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2025
The man was arrested on assault, reckless endangerment, menacing, harassment, disorderly conduct and a weapons charge after the attack, which left a 42-year-old man with an injured wrist and a 26-year-old woman with a neck injury, police said.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 16 Jan. 2025
The recurrence of a menacing supernatural force that caused his brother to disappear in the '80s (hence the season subtitle, The Vanishing) pushes him far over the line.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for menacing 
Adjective
Caudill spent a month in the Adams County jail after that arrest on charges of menacing and assault.
—Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 26 Jan. 2025
The moment a fully healthy Griffin gets out there, the Huskies get longer and more athletic, can become more dynamic on offense, more menacing on defense, more experienced off the bench.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2025
The man was arrested on assault, reckless endangerment, menacing, harassment, disorderly conduct and a weapons charge after the attack, which left a 42-year-old man with an injured wrist and a 26-year-old woman with a neck injury, police said.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 16 Jan. 2025
The recurrence of a menacing supernatural force that caused his brother to disappear in the '80s (hence the season subtitle, The Vanishing) pushes him far over the line.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for menacing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for menacing
Adjective
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There’s the ominous sense that the monkeys lurking around the resort might just be the same ones wielding swords in the frescoes.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2025
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Those recall notices referred to a permanent solution without specifying what that might be—something that could be read as ominous or hopeful.—
Eric Bangeman,
Ars Technica,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Schools districts throughout Kentucky closed on Monday, citing flooded streets, dangerous travel conditions and power outages that impacted some 15,000 homes and businesses.—
Christopher Cann,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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Hamilton said that wind shear combined with an icy runway would make dangerous conditions for a flip.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Wilson, 46, is charged with murder, manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child for the explosion of violence inside the victim’s apartment on Macombs Road near Inwood Ave.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
21 Dec. 2024
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Cloe Workman, 20, is charged in Hamilton County Municipal Court with misdemeanor child endangering and domestic violence.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Richard curses again, threatening Blum.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
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An extreme wind event is threatening one of Los Angeles’ toniest neighborhoods, igniting fires through Pacific Palisades.—
Kimberly Nordyke,
The Hollywood Reporter,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Her decision to give her baby up for adoption exposes the sinister dealings of Dagmar Overbye (Trine Dyrholm), the female Danish serial killer whose true-life murder of dozens of children in the 1910s inspired the film.—
Brande Victorian,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Feb. 2025
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The instrumental is decidedly sinister, and his vocals sound eerily similar to Michael’s.—
Matthew Ismael Ruiz,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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However, the Cutler documentary project could examine a downside to seizing Greenland (apart from disrupting the NATO alliance): the site is strewn with hazardous material.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2025
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The way that the power cable loops out in some shots does look a bit hazardous, although it could presumably be tucked in better for out-on-the-street use.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Nolan’s mythic action epic, shot with new Imax cameras, is based on the ancient Greek poem by Homer which follows Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his perilous journey home after the Trojan War.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2025
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Over the next three days, the serum changed hands multiple times, with teams of mushers and dogs navigating increasingly perilous conditions.—
David Kindy,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Higher speeds, impairment caused by alcohol and cannabis use, and other risky driver behaviors were involved in the majority of 2023’s fatal county crashes, according to Wawrzyniak.—
Kay Johnson,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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Employment reduces economic pressures that lead to risky behaviors, offering stability and alternatives to crime.—
Keith Howard,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near menacing
Cite this Entry
“Menacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/menacing. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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