From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthreatthreat /θret/ ●●● S3 W2 noun 1 [countable, uncountable]THREATEN a statement in which you tell someone that you will cause them harm or trouble if they do not do what you want Your threats don’t scare me.threat of the threat of military invasionthreat from He says his family received phone threats from the group. threats made against his wife and children Nichols never carried out his threat to resign. The government will not give in to terrorist threats. She dismissed the statement as an empty threat. They warned him with veiled threats not to mention anything he had witnessed. The police are investigating death threats made against the two men. Officials at the school say they received a bomb threat at approximately 11:30 a.m. today.2 [countable usually singular]PROBABLY the possibility that something very bad will happenthreat of the threat of faminethreat from According to the Secretary of State, the Russians face no threat from an expanded NATO.under threat The area remains under threat from commercial developers.be under threat of closure/attack etc (=be likely to be closed, attacked etc) The program is under threat of closure due to lack of funding.3 [countable usually singular]THREATEN someone or something that is regarded as a possible dangerthreat to The fighting is a major threat to stability in the region.present/pose a threat (to somebody/something) Pollution poses a threat to fish.COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: a statement in which you tell someone that you will cause them harm or trouble if they do not do what you wantverbsmake/issue a threatNeighbours say that they heard Gardiner make threats against his wife.carry out a threat (=do what you threatened to do)She ought to have carried out her threat to go to the police.give in to a threat (=do what something wants you to do after they threaten you)The government is not going to give in to terrorist threats.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + threat a death threat (=a threat to kill someone)Scientists involved in the research have received death threats.a bomb threatThe station was closed because of a bomb threat.an empty/idle threat (=one that is not sincere)She was not a woman to make idle threats.a veiled threat (=one that is not made directly)The emails contained thinly veiled threats of harm. COLLOCATIONS – Meanings 2 & 3ADJECTIVES/NOUN + threat a serious/major threatBad air quality poses a serious threat to public health.the greatest/biggest threatThe greatest threat to our planet is global warming.a real threatThese measures pose a real threat to the future of agriculture.a potential threatThe group remains a potential threat to the regime.an immediate threat (=the possibility that something bad will happen very soon)The volcano erupted on Thursday but there is no immediate threat to nearby towns.a direct threatThe workers destroyed the textile machinery which they saw as a direct threat to their jobs.a military threatEach country regarded the other as a major military threat.a terrorist threatU.S. officials underestimated the terrorist threat before the June 25 bombing.verbspose/present a threatThe rebels do not pose a serious threat to the armed forces.represent a threatHe is not afraid, because you represent no threat to him.counter/combat a threatWe must work together to counter the threat of state terrorism.face a threat (=likely to be affected by something)The factory is facing the threat of closure.meet a threat (=deal with it)We must transform our armed forces to meet emerging threats.
Examples from the Corpus
threat• There is a threat that the violence will break out again.• And there has emerged another threat.• It's nonsense to say that the protesters pose any threat to democratic society.• Tuberculosis is a common threat when people live in crowded conditions.• She claims she received anonymous death threats after she gave evidence in the trial.• The latest outbreak of the disease can be seen as the greatest threat to UK farmers yet.• The contamination does not pose any immediate public health threat because none of the seed has been planted.• He showed no sign of carrying out his threat of making them pay.• He denied making threats to kill her.• The nuclear threat, while not gone completely, is reduced.• Immigrant families in the area have received threats from right-wing extremist groups.• Bad weather is a regular threat.• Global warming poses a serious threat for the future.• After the floods, contaminated water was a serious threat to public health.• These two, plus Jones, Botham and Bainbridge, will pose a strong threat to any attack.• Once again the people of Sudan face the threat of famine.• But below the mirror images of arts and architecture lurks the threat of extinction - Venice is in Peril.• The threat of inflation and high interest rates led to a wage freeze.• the threat of invasion• I'm prepared to listen to him, but I'm not going to respond to threats.• There's no guarantee that whoever sent it won't follow up those written threats with actual physical violence.• Your threats don't scare me!bomb threat• More than 50,000 people carrying free foam-rubber tomahawks evacuated the stadium as if there had been a bomb threat.• Last Monday, a bomb threat against the county courthouse was delivered by telephone.• Pervez Musharraf, delayed his flight home because of a bomb threat.• Last Thursday, campus officials received a bomb threat that was sent over the university e-mail system.• Many passengers switch flight after bomb threat.• It belongs to the man who called in the bomb threat 18 minutes before it detonated.• Schools cancelled extracurricular activities, and many parents took their children out of classes after word of the bomb threat spread.be under threat of closure/attack etc• Both stations, manned by part-timers, were under threat of closure some years ago but massive campaigns secured their future.present/pose a threat (to somebody/something)• Would Payton ever return to Swansea and pose a threat to Emily's peace of mind?• A serious Republican challenger could have posed a threat in a House where Republicans hold a 227-207 advantage over Democrats.• For now, regulators suspect current credit problems pose a threat largely to bank earnings, rather than their survival.• Yet as far as the Seven are concerned, it still exists - still poses a threat to them.• Although the afflicted creatures do not behave aggressively, Fosco said, they still pose a threat to domestic animals.• This poses a threat to agriculture and the food chain, and consequently to human health.• Supplies of food ran sufficiently low to pose a threat as serious as invasion.• Medical advice suggests that they are not yet at toxic levels, which would pose a threat to human health.Origin threat Old English 