PERILS Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

perils 1 of 2

noun

plural of peril

as in threats

something that may cause injury or harm life is full of unexpected perils

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perils

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of peril

as in endangers

to place in danger a tribute to the men and women who, as firefighters, peril their lives daily

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of perils

Noun

Whereas many tech leaders have, like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, touted the benefits of AI, many have also expressed concern about its perils. — Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026 Yet despite years of warnings from the park’s visitors, attorneys and medical experts about the perils of riding X2, officials at the theme park – located in Valencia, California – and state regulators allowed the attraction to continue operating. — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 Teenage e-bikers on an Oakland County airport runway last week forced a pilot to abort his landing, taking the potential perils of e-bike misuse to a whole new level. — Susan Bromley, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2026 The train is, of course, a classic example of the perennial perils of sunk costs; abandoning the line seems absurd (even to us) given how much money would be written off. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 This array of perils suggests that the gate closure has less to do with the passions around the Middle East than with domestic politics of appeasement. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Aug. 2026 Starring Harriet Slater and Arsema Thomas as the climbers, the two are joined by Tom Brittney as their tour guide, who warns them of the perils of their journey. — Niya Doyle, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 The trajectory of the California poll offers a cautionary tale about the perils of trusting unvetted polling. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 But Oak Street doesn't just spotlight the perils of man-eating dinosaurs. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026

Verb

The rally in a swing district illustrates the benefits and perils Trump brings to his party’s candidates. — Cleve R. Wootson Jr, Washington Post, 22 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for perils

Noun

In addition, the 14-year-old was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats.

— Jason Green, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Leaders of two commands, one overseeing the nuclear arsenal and the other focused on cyber threats, declined all three options, asking to maintain the full program.

— Megan Rose, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of threats

Verb

But the department has been running into opposition by landowners, environmental groups, Native American tribes and others who argue that the rapid construction endangers environmental and religious sites and a way of life along the border.

— Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Refusing to do so, Luis stirs a rivalry and potentially endangers his own employment.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 July 2026

Definition of endangers

Noun

The letter adds to a growing chorus of warnings about the dangers associated with advanced AI and comes shortly after a series of high-profile incidents in which flagship models tested by Anthropic and OpenAI breached testing safeguards.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
New research about the dangers of CTE in football brought out new concerns from parents about the dangers of playing football.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of dangers

Verb

Marie’s secret past threatens to catch up with her, and she is forced to do everything in her power to preserve her new status as lady of the house in post-war anarchy.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, a memory chip shortage threatens to squeeze its margins, its revenue growth is slowing, and even longtime Apple fans admit the maker of aspirational tech has lost some of its product design mojo.

— Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of threatens

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perilous

perils

perimeter

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“Perils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perils. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of perils

noun

verb

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