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
When their unnamed project manager revealed them to be the true creators, the indictment says Mayo and Hay sent threatening emails, texts and social media messages to him and his parents, posing as lawyers threatening legal action and investors to force him to take down and recant his messages.
—
Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
The more transmissions among animals—in particular from birds to mammals—the more chances the virus has to mutate to become more threatening to the public.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2024
The sea has never looked so menacing, and the deeper Moana and company head into the its uncharted territory, the more threatening the environment becomes.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Nov. 2024
In April 2013, Curtis was arrested for allegedly sending threatening letters laced with ricin, a poisonous toxin, to Judge Sadie Holland, Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker and President Obama.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 16 Dec. 2024
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Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
The more transmissions among animals—in particular from birds to mammals—the more chances the virus has to mutate to become more threatening to the public.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2024
The sea has never looked so menacing, and the deeper Moana and company head into the its uncharted territory, the more threatening the environment becomes.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Nov. 2024
In April 2013, Curtis was arrested for allegedly sending threatening letters laced with ricin, a poisonous toxin, to Judge Sadie Holland, Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker and President Obama.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for threatening
Dictionary Entries Near threatening
Cite this Entry
“Threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threatening. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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