1
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune
regarding the new laborsaving machinery as a bane, the 19th-century Luddites went about destroying it in protest
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2
as in poison
a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing
a plant that is believed to be the bane of the wolf
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Recent Examples of bane
Industry professionals and municipal authorities acknowledge that tourism is a trade-off: often an economic boon, sometimes a social bane.
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Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2024
Power Players Rather than a bane on the environment, technology companies are often positioning AI development as part of the climate solution and critical to innovation.
—Reece Rogers, WIRED, 11 July 2024
So far, a lack of quality in the final third had been the bane of the visitor’s evening.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024
Panels are usually a bane on cable news shows, but Fox News could have used one right off the bat.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bane 
Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2024
Power Players Rather than a bane on the environment, technology companies are often positioning AI development as part of the climate solution and critical to innovation.
—Reece Rogers, WIRED, 11 July 2024
So far, a lack of quality in the final third had been the bane of the visitor’s evening.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024
Panels are usually a bane on cable news shows, but Fox News could have used one right off the bat.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bane
Noun
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Regardless of whether one sees it as a triumph or a curse, there is no reason to expect that low fertility will be reversed in any major way.Vegard Skirbekk, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
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Just one episode after breaking her family’s curse, Alice lies dead on the ground, and the witches—and especially Teen—are not happy.Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Schwarzenegger is proof that the Republican label doesn’t have to be poison in California.Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
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Volcanic ash can bury crops, damage livestock health, contaminate soil, and poison water supplies, while SO2 mixes with water vapor to form sulfuric acid, contributing to acid rain, which damages vegetation, soils, and water bodies.Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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After a slow start, the Gophers football team is riding a three-game winning streak to Illinois for a crucial matchup against old nemesis Bret Bielema.Nick Halter, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
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Saweetie posted to her Instagram grid several times to share her spot-on tribute to one of Batman's most notorious nemeses, including editing herself into an actual scene from the movie.Marci Robin, Allure, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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But though ruthlessly efficient at killing off some frog species, the fungus is highly vulnerable to heat: Temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (about 85 degrees Fahrenheit) slow disease progression.Martin J. Kernan, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2024
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The agency’s $48 billion budget funds medical research on cancers, vaccines and other diseases through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation.Aleccia Washington, Twin Cities, 15 Nov. 2024
Noun
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According to Apolo, theobromine, an alkaloid in the cacao beans used to make chocolate, makes chocolate toxic to canines.Kelli Bender, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
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Many are similar to existing antibiotics or toxic to humans.Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Bane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bane. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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