Words / B2

THRETN/ˈθretn/

To threaten is to say you will cause harm, or to be likely to harm: threaten to + verb; threaten someone with; flooding threatens the line. Threat is already in the dictionary. Warn is not the same (a warning can be protective). Do not write “threaten someone to do”. Climate and crime news both use threaten.

Meaning

To say you will cause harm if someone does not do what you want; also to be likely to harm.

Examples

• “Flooding still threatens the coastal line in winter.”
• “He was accused of threatening a witness, which is the criminal sense.”

Good to know

threaten to; threaten someone with; something threatens + noun. Noun: threat. Not “threaten someone to”. Protective: warn. Crime and climate news.

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