verb to communicate an intention to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something
The abusive partner threatened their victim to maintain control over them.
The defendant threatened the witness to prevent them from testifying.
The competitor threatened legal action if their intellectual property rights were infringed upon.
The country threatened to impose sanctions if the trade agreement was not honored.
The hacker threatened to release sensitive information unless the ransom was paid.
In a legal thriller novel, the antagonist may threaten the protagonist to stop investigating a case.
A psychologist may encounter a patient who has been threatened by a family member or partner, leading to discussions about safety and coping strategies.
During a negotiation, one party may threaten legal action if the other party does not agree to certain terms.
When responding to a domestic dispute, a police officer may encounter a situation where one individual has threatened the other with violence.
In a competitive business environment, one company may threaten to take legal action against another for intellectual property theft.