threaten causes

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "threaten causes" is not standard in written English and may be confusing. It could be used in contexts discussing the potential negative impacts of certain actions or events on specific causes or issues. For example: "The new policy may threaten causes related to environmental protection." Alternative expressions could include "endanger issues," "jeopardize causes," or "undermine efforts."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

The thought you are being threatened causes the body to contract, and this is the physical side of what we call fear".

The Guardian - Sport

(5) Throwing or discarding lighted or smoldering material in a manner that threatens, causes damage to, or results in the burning of property or resources of the area administered by the Presidio Trust, or creates a public safety hazard.

Cornell University

Recognize life threatening causes of altered contrast dynamics such as cardiac asystole.

Insights into Imaging

Serious adverse events (SAEs) are defined as any event that is fatal, life threatening, causes or prolongs hospitalization; causes disability or incapacity or requires medical intervention to prevent permanent impairment or damage, or any grade 4 toxicity.

BMC Cancer

One survivor says emails one member sent him were threatening, causing him distress.

BBC

Severity of AEs will be graded on a five-point scale (Mild, Moderate, Severe, Life threatening, causing death).

BMJ Open

Deaths occurring during follow-up; Serious adverse events (life threatening, causing admission to hospital, or discontinuation of treatment); Haematological and biochemical adverse effects (for example, neutropenia, liver toxicity); Early vomiting; Other adverse events.

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Fever from a life threatening cause is defined as fever that is associated with neck stiffness, extreme weakness or inability to stand, lethargy, unconsciousness, convulsions, severe abdominal pain, or respiratory distress.

British Medical Journal

An AE was considered serious (SAE) if it was life threatening, caused permanent harm, resulted in hospitalization or extension of in-patient hospital treatment, or was considered to be medically relevant by the investigator.

BMC Pediatrics

The commission, an autonomous government agency, determines whether imports cause or threaten to cause damage to United States companies.

The New York Times

rules allow nations to impose temporary measures to protect their producers from a surge in imports if they cause or threaten to cause serious harm to domestic industries.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use an infinitive 'to' between 'threaten' and 'cause' when describing a future event, as in 'The storm threatens to cause flooding'.

Common error

Avoid omitting the hyphen in 'life-threatening' when it precedes a noun like 'causes'. Writing 'life threatening causes' without the hyphen can lead to ambiguity about whether the 'causes' themselves are threatening or if the life is being threatened by the causes.

Linguistic Context

In the data provided by Ludwig, the phrase "threaten causes" rarely appears as a direct sequence. Instead, it typically functions as a part of the construction "threaten to cause" (verb + infinitive) or within the compound adjective phrase "life-threatening causes" (modifying a noun). On its own, it lacks the necessary syntactic markers to form a complete thought.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

35%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, the sequence "threaten causes" is not a standard standalone phrase in English. According to Ludwig AI, it is primarily found within more complex structures. In medical literature, it appears as "life-threatening causes", referring to dangerous conditions like cardiac asystole or bowel ischaemia. In news and political reporting, the verb "threaten" is almost always followed by the infinitive "to cause", describing imminent crises such as inflation, humanitarian disasters or social instability. Writers should ensure they include the proper functional words or punctuation to avoid the grammatical ambiguity identified by Ludwig.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

threaten to cause

Adds the necessary infinitive marker to connect a threat to a future action

risk causing

Uses a gerund to indicate a potential negative outcome

pose a threat of

A more formal noun-based construction

could result in

Expresses possibility rather than direct intent

endanger

A single-word verb that encapsulates the meaning of threatening a specific cause

life-threatening conditions

A standard medical phrase similar to life-threatening causes

jeopardize

Often used in political and professional contexts to describe a threat to a goal

may lead to

Softer, more cautious causal language

likely to provoke

Suggests a reactive cause and effect

threatened consequences

Focuses on the result of the threat rather than the cause

FAQs

Is it correct to say "threaten causes"?

No, it is usually incorrect as a direct sequence. You should use "threaten to cause" or hyphenate it as part of an adjective like "life-threatening causes".

What is a better alternative for "threaten causes" in a sentence?

Depending on your context, you can use "risk causing" or "pose a threat of" to make the sentence clearer.

How do you use "threaten to cause" in professional writing?

It is used to describe potential disruptions. For example: "The strike "threatens to cause" significant delays in production".

What is the difference between "threaten causes" and "risk causing"?

While "threaten causes" is a fragment, "risk causing" is a standard phrase where 'risk' acts as the verb followed by a gerund, often used when the outcome is accidental rather than intentional.