How to Use threaten in a Sentence

threaten

verb
  • 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.
  • The latest news threatens trouble for the economy.
  • Overfishing threatens the survival of certain fish species.
  • Maduro and his cadres have threatened to lock up both of them.
    — Jorge Rueda and Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2024
  • When things don't go your way, don’t pout or threaten to quit.
    — Jack Kelly, Forbes, 14 May 2022
  • Some tech moguls have pushed back against the idea and threatened to move.
    — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Trump has at times threatened to destroy them.
    — Willem Marx, NPR, 23 May 2026
  • And while rain threatened, fans never got a break from the heat.
    — Matias Ocner, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • Is a taboo crossed when someone threatens?
    — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Harrell then threatens to kill the teen.
    — Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Watch how things take a turn when events threaten to throw her life off balance.
    — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Reading looks ready to threaten.
    — Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Some fans will threaten players children in front of any kids in the stands.
    — Bobby Nightengale, USA TODAY, 27 Aug. 2022
  • How could loud chunks of the audience have seemed threatened by this?
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
  • As dark forces threaten his master, the brave pup must fight to protect him.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Open grassy fields can quickly go up in flames and threaten nearby homes.
    — Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 19 June 2026
  • People can feel threatened by change, even change for the better.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 4 June 2026
  • Some fans will threaten players' children in front of any kids in the stands.
    — The Enquirer, 27 Aug. 2022
  • That threatens the prospect of a prolonged work stoppage.
    — Jordan Fabian, Fortune, 6 June 2026
  • Even when guns are not lethal, research shows they are used by abusers to threaten victims.
    — Abigail Higgins, Washington Post, 14 June 2022
  • When time with her feels threatened, even well-meaning offers can land the wrong way.
    — Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 10 May 2026
  • The sections with sticky, sloppy mud and hog ruts threatened to take the shoes right off our feet.
    — Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 28 Nov. 2024
  • The Sailors threatened to score in the bottom half of the first inning.
    — David Delgado, Oc Register, 23 May 2026
  • This can result in delays which threaten the health of the mother.
    — Grace Segers, The New Republic, 10 May 2022
  • The woman said Marchetti killed her dog and threatened to kill her next.
    — Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 21 June 2024
  • His war with Iran threatens to undermine all of that.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026
  • One woman was accused of threatening her kids with a firearm.
    — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Some members of the group had threatened to campaign against the measure.
    — Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'threaten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: