hover (over)

as in to threaten
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on after the first big layoff, the possibility of losing their jobs hovered over all of the factory's workers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hover (over)
threaten
Verb
  • President Donald Trump’s new tariffs—both enforced and threatened—are continuing to have an outsized impact on the global economy.
    Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • Watts said she felt threatened by the racist, sexist and violent posts directed toward her after she was falsely identified online as the person who posted a message on the city’s X account in response to Butker’s controversial speech at a college graduation ceremony last spring.
    Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Hover (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hover%20%28over%29. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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