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

The author behind the singular Elizabeth Zott returns with ‘Peck & Peck,’ a sharp, charming satire on the pretensions and perils of literary gatekeepers. — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 One of the best ways to stay private and protect yourself from the internet's many perils is a VPN. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026 Love Days gets inside the head of the disembodied, Medusa-like woman who uses her work to escape the perils of her own subjectivity. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026 Many in the industry pointed to that hack as an example of the perils of the rapid pace of AI developments and capabilities. — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026 Their ensuing ascent is defined as much by the tensions between backgrounds, classes and competing ambitions as by the perils of the mountain itself. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026 Corus Entertainment Gossling knows the perils and profits of traditional pay TV and has positioned the Canadian broadcast giant to revamp its business model for the streaming age. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 OpenAI and Anthropic’s leaders write at length about how AI’s risks and perils must be carefully studied for the sake of humanity. — Matthew Sun, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026 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

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 other words, the biggest threats on the horizon might not be the Vatican or their local dioceses as much as time and money.

— Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
The papers are said to have contained highly sensitive information, some likely supplied by Germany’s intelligence partners – so the affair could have serious international ramifications at a time when Europe is facing grave security threats.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of threats

Verb

This spews pollution into the air and endangers workers and surrounding neighborhoods.

— Micheline Maynard, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Our leaders should retire a relic that endangers people and animals alike, and retire, once and for all, the small and nasty politics used to defend it.

— Al Sharpton, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of endangers

Noun

Policymakers are aware of the dangers of overreliance on Chinese supply chains.

— Scott Singer, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026
In Flanagan‘s take, Margaret is fiercely committed to shielding Carrie from the world’s dangers and from her classmates’ cruelty, even becoming a parental advocate in their community and on social media.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of dangers

Verb

If the person holding key intellectual property or leading the company risks losing status, immigration planning ceases to be a personal ordeal.

— Bernardo Saraiva, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
But even if the Election Commission is not systematically targeting voters based on their identity or their political preferences, the exercise still risks disenfranchising millions through sheer ineptitude.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of risks

Verb

At least 19 people have been killed, school classes have been canceled, and the disruption threatens the kingdom's ambitious plans to transform itself into a global hub for business, tourism and sports.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
At the same time, the debt burden is being increasingly exposed to market volatility that threatens to make interest costs even steeper.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of perils

noun

verb

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