threatening
adjective
threat·en·ing
ˈthret-niŋ 
ˈthre-tᵊn-iŋ
: expressing or suggesting a threat of harm, danger, etc.
received a threatening message
a threatening manner
: indicating or suggesting the approach of possible trouble or danger
saw threatening clouds on the horizon
Examples of threatening in a Sentence
economists warning of a threatening recession
a threatening silence followed the loud thump in the adjoining motel room
threatening rocks lined that narrow stretch of the river through which we would be rafting
Recent Examples on the Web
Police find threatening letter Jiang was approached by church volunteers, who were concerned over his behavior, when authorities responded on Sept. 24, 2023, according to prosecutors.
—
Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
The student who allegedly caused the lockdown was charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds, second-degree threatening and second-degree breach of peace.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2025
The court was told his father, James Nybo, 40, had allegedly sent threatening and abusive text messages and was armed with a baseball bat at the time of the confrontation.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 21 Feb. 2025
The escalation makes this sizable space rock the most threatening ever forecasted to impact Earth, although the prospect for catastrophe remains relatively slim: the chance for a direct hit is now one in 32.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for threatening
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Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
The student who allegedly caused the lockdown was charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds, second-degree threatening and second-degree breach of peace.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2025
The court was told his father, James Nybo, 40, had allegedly sent threatening and abusive text messages and was armed with a baseball bat at the time of the confrontation.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 21 Feb. 2025
The escalation makes this sizable space rock the most threatening ever forecasted to impact Earth, although the prospect for catastrophe remains relatively slim: the chance for a direct hit is now one in 32.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for threatening
Cite this Entry
“Threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threatening. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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