threat

1 of 2

noun

1
: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage
2
: one that threatens
3
: an indication of something impending
the sky held a threat of rain

threat

2 of 2

verb

threated; threating; threats
archaic

Examples of threat in a Sentence

Noun He was willing to use violence and threats to get what he wanted. She ignored their threats and continued to do what she felt was right. a country under threat of civil war
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Some analysts, including Claudio Campanini, Europe head for telecommunications, media and technology at advisory firm Kearney, have said that a deal with Iliad may have been preferable because of the competitive threat that Niel’s company still poses. Daniele Lepido, Fortune Europe, 15 Mar. 2024 For Democrats, a smooth and soft-spoken hard-liner may be a bigger threat than a caustic screamer. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 The audience goes into that setup expecting a fun fight scene, but there’s not going to be anything of note or anything of weight that comes from this, especially when the A-Team is off in space battling the actual threat. Diego Ramos Bechara, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Lawmakers supportive of the bill have argued that TikTok poses a national security threat because the Chinese government could compel ByteDance to hand over data on TikTok users in the United States. Maisie Linford, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Damaging winds and large hail are the primary threats. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024 Severson said there's no further threat to the community following the shooting, though the emotional impact is present. Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2024 The American election is China’s largest external threat in 2024, the Center for International Security and Strategy, a think tank at prestigious Tsinghua University, concluded in a recent report. Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Especially as health threats don’t happen in isolation. Rob Reddick, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English thret coercion, threat, from Old English thrēat coercion; akin to Middle High German drōz annoyance, Latin trudere to push, thrust

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of threat was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near threat

Cite this Entry

“Threat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threat. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

threat

noun
ˈthret
1
: an expression of an intent to do harm
stop making threats
2
: something that threatens
the crumbling cliff was a threat to the village below
3
: an indication of something impending
the sky held a threat of rain

Legal Definition

threat

noun
: an expression of an intention to injure another : menace sense 1
criminal laws against making terroristic threats

More from Merriam-Webster on threat

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