threaten

Etymology

From English threat + -en, from Middle English thrēten, from Old English þrēatian.

verb

1. To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
   No one, however, would have anything to do with him, as Mr. Keeson's orders in those respects were very strict ; he had often threatened any one of his employés with instant dismissal if he found him in company with one of these touts. 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 2, in The Hocussing of Cigarette
   "Taiwanese are very enthusiastic and love freedom and democracy, so many good international friends have come to Taiwan to support us. This is a normal and good thing, but China threatens and intimidates Taiwan," she said. "However, I would like to reassure everyone that both our government and the military are prepared, and I will definitely take care of Taiwan." August 13, 2022, Sarah Wu, David Kirton, Ben Blanchard, quoting Tsai Ing-wen, “Taiwan thanks U.S. for maintaining security in Taiwan Strait”, in Tom Hogue, Michael Perry, William Mallard, editors, Reuters, archived from the original on 2022-08-13, World
   He threatened me with a knife.
2. To menace, or be dangerous.
   The rocks threatened the ship's survival.
3. To portend, or give a warning of.
   The black clouds threatened heavy rain.
4. To call into question the validity of (a belief, idea, or viewpoint); to challenge.
   The new information threatened our original hypothesis.
   January 26, 2019, Kevin Seybold, “Does Science Threaten Belief?”, in Cathedral of Hope:
5. (figurative) To be close to equaling or surpassing (a record, etc.)
   The player quickly surmised that things weren't kosher and the suddenly wiser ballplayer threatened the world record for the fifty-yard dash as he sought safety. As Reynolds dived into the van, Dietz and the other players rolled with laughter. 2000, Lew Freedman, Diamonds in the Rough: Baseball Stories from Alaska, page 69