American English
/ˈθɹɛ.t̚n̩/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
to tell someone that you may hurt them, punish them, or cause a problem for them if they do not do what you want
In “threaten,” the /t/ can sound like a brief stop in the throat before the final /n/: /ˈθɹɛ.ʔn̩/. This is common in natural American English.
to tell someone that you may hurt them, punish them, or cause a problem for them if they do not do what you want
He threatened to sue the company.
The robber threatened her with a gun.
threaten violence · threaten to leave · threaten legal action · threaten someone's safety
threaten + someone + with + something
threaten + to + verb
to be likely to harm someone or something, or to cause serious problems
Flooding threatens homes along the river.
The storm threatens to ruin the concert.
threaten public safety · threaten the environment · threaten someone's life · threaten livelihoods
something + threatens + someone/something
something + threatens + to + verb
The final t is doubled before -ed and -ing: threatened, threatening.