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Prepositions after verbs

How to use threaten with and by

Use threaten someone with something for warnings or intimidation. By is usually used in passive structures.

Quick answer

Use threaten with for the danger or weapon

The standard pattern is threaten someone with something: threaten someone with violence or legal action. Threaten by is not normally used as a direct complement after the verb, but by can appear in passive sentences such as be threatened by storms.

They threatened him with dismissal.
The robber threatened her with a knife.
The village was threatened by flooding.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
threaten + person + with + thing

Mentioning a threat or weapon

Use with to introduce the thing used as a threat.

She threatened the company with legal action.
2
be threatened by + cause

Passive form showing danger

Use by in passive structures to name the source of danger.

The crops were threatened by drought.
3
threaten to + verb

Announcing a possible action

Use threaten to before an action someone may take.

He threatened to resign immediately.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
threaten with
The guard threatened him with arrest.
Standard pattern for expressing the threat.
threaten by
Nonstandard: They threatened by force.
Not normally used directly after threaten.
be threatened by
The coast is threatened by erosion.
Standard passive structure showing the source of danger.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using by instead of with

Use with after threaten when naming the threat.

✕ She threatened him by a lawsuit. ✓ She threatened him with a lawsuit.

Forgetting the passive with by

By usually follows threatened in passive constructions.

✕ The city threatened by pollution. ✓ The city is threatened by pollution.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The attacker threatened the driver ___ a gun.
2. The forest is threatened ___ wildfires.
3. She threatened ___ quit the project.

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Frequently asked questions

Is threaten by correct?

Not usually as a direct complement. English normally uses threaten with or be threatened by.

Can threaten with be used for non-physical threats?

Yes. You can threaten someone with punishment, exposure, or legal action.

What is the difference between threaten with and threaten to?

Threaten with names the threat itself, while threaten to introduces an action someone may take.

tackle by, in, for, with or on? tack-on-onto-to-across, as "tag with" or "tag in"? tailor to, for, from, toward or towards? "taint by" or "taint with"? "take into", "take in" or "take to"? "talk about" or "talk to"? tally with, in, for, up or at? "tap into" or "tap on"? target at, by, for, to or in? tarnish by, in, with, after or as? "taste like", "taste of" or "taste in"?

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