threaten

verb5

1. •
   to promise to hurt someone or make trouble for them, often to force them to do something

   • 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. •
   (figurative) To be close to equaling or surpassing (a record, etc.); to challenge.
5. •
   To call into question the validity of (a belief, idea, or viewpoint); to challenge.

   • The new information threatened our original hypothesis.