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
• 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
• Later in the episode, Spears got emotional again and threatened to quit the show.
  — Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023
• Some fans will threaten players children in front of any kids in the stands.
  — Bobby Nightengale, USA TODAY, 27 Aug. 2022
• Some fans will threaten players' children in front of any kids in the stands.
  — The Enquirer, 27 Aug. 2022
• World & Nation Trump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal.
  — Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
• The woman said Marchetti killed her dog and threatened to kill her next.
  — Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 21 June 2024
• When a guard threatened to shoot, the group backed off and Ms. Stafford felt her resolve deflate.
  — Lynsey Chutel Gulshan Khan, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023
• But there are some risks that threaten De Haan’s outlook.
  — Krystal Hur, CNN, 28 May 2023
• That sounds like a lot, but the sum so far has not appeared to threaten U.S. economic growth.
  — Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2024
• Then there is the island itself, shaped by the seasons and threatened by the hostile nature.
  — Annika Pham, Variety, 13 Nov. 2023
• Shoutout to the 38 Republicans who shot the bill down in the House while being threatened & blackmailed.
  — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 23 Dec. 2024
• The vice president would not have been threatened with a hanging.
  — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025
• Snowfall in New Orleans threatened a record set 130 years ago.
  — John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025
• By the time the 80th minute rolled around, France had yet to seriously threaten the Albiceleste.
  — Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Dec. 2022
• When disaster threatens, her new friends — a pile of rocks, a rabbit, a cactus, the motel desk clerks— save the day.
  — Staff Author, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2023
• Basha threatened to open things in the bottom of the fifth inning after Aniyah Jaiman’s base hit drove in Garcia, giving the Bears a 3-0 lead.
  — Ben Stapley, The Arizona Republic, 16 May 2023
• Evers threatened to veto the entire budget over the DEI cuts.
  — The Editors, National Review, 18 Dec. 2023
• Still, storm surges threaten the coast and forecasts continue to call for heavy rainfall.
  — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
• Right to Life group revoked its endorsement of him and threatened to do the same to any lawmaker who backed his bill.
  — Kate Zernike, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2023
• If no deal is reached, the dispute could threaten games, concerts and other events scheduled to be held at the ballpark.
  — Fredrick Kunkle, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2022
• Brosnan said that Mulready did not threaten him with a weapon nor inflict any harm.
  — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2022
• This morning the war threatens to expand as Israel exchanged strikes with Hezbollah in the north.
  — Nbc Universal, NBC News, 8 Oct. 2023
• These needless delays threaten to hobble Artemis as China paces ahead.
  — John Kross, Space.com, 3 Feb. 2025
• The two nations threatened retaliation of their own, raising the prospects of a broader regional trade war.
  — Fabiola Sánchez, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2025

Last Updated: 18 Feb 2025