as in detrimental
causing or capable of causing harm
DDT has been proven to be extremely harmful to the environment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harmful
According to that lawsuit, OPM has hastily been testing this new email system, potentially opening all government workers to harmful data breaches.
—
Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2025
Since siding with Trump last year, the vaccine skeptic claimed without evidence that fluoride is a harmful addition to drinking water, and suggested Americans begin drinking raw milk amid news of bird flu being found in batches of the beverage.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 29 Jan. 2025
Now harmful chemicals, which may include asbestos, lead, mercury and other heavy metals, are present in the ash that blankets the burn zones.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2025
Market intervention is always and everywhere harmful simply because markets are people.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for harmful 
Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2025
Since siding with Trump last year, the vaccine skeptic claimed without evidence that fluoride is a harmful addition to drinking water, and suggested Americans begin drinking raw milk amid news of bird flu being found in batches of the beverage.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 29 Jan. 2025
Now harmful chemicals, which may include asbestos, lead, mercury and other heavy metals, are present in the ash that blankets the burn zones.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2025
Market intervention is always and everywhere harmful simply because markets are people.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for harmful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harmful
Adjective
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Tariffs are particularly detrimental to industries with complex supply chains, where goods cross the border multiple times as firms seek to turn inputs into final goods.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2025
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The bench has struggled at times which could be detrimental come playoff but.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The narrative truly flipped on Jan. 13, with the S & P 500 logging a noticeable positive reversal after the prior week’s damaging bearish engulfing pattern.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2025
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The tower came crashing down across South Osage Street, damaging power cables and falling just short of a home.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This feeds into Newcastle’s 2-0 advantage which, as another cliche tells us, is the most dangerous lead in football.—
George Caulkin,
The Athletic,
5 Feb. 2025
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This amount can weigh down trees and power lines — causing power outages — and make travel dangerous to borderline impossible.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The unions argue that the offer fails to consider possible adverse consequences to the government's ability to function; sets an arbitrarily short deadline; and is pretext for removing and replacing workers on an ideological basis, among other things.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
6 Feb. 2025
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The study said adverse side effects and cost were the most common reasons patients stopped the drugs that were documented in clinical notes.—
Annika Kim Constantino,Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This is a bad bill that’s wasting the time of Annapolis legislators who have much more important issues to resolve for the people of this state.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Feb. 2025
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Ernie Tedeschi: There seems to be this sense in the White House that trade surpluses are good, and trade deficits are bad.—
Steve Inskeep,
NPR,
3 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near harmful
Cite this Entry
“Harmful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harmful. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
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