as in harmless
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt
those innocuous lies we must tell every day if society is to remain civil
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Recent Examples of innocuous
Israel's highest-profile recent killing -- that of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July -- reportedly relied not on an innocuous item but on deep penetration of enemy security networks.
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David Brennan, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2024
The incident highlights the passionate political climate and the tendency for even seemingly innocuous events to become politicized.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
The tension begins with a seemingly innocuous scene of Hal walking through a warren of cubicles at the CIA headquarters, on his way for an official U.S. government call to explain the VP’s role in the bombing.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2024
The term may make the mistakes seem almost innocuous, but in some applications, even a minuscule error rate can have severe ramifications.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for innocuous 
David Brennan, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2024
The incident highlights the passionate political climate and the tendency for even seemingly innocuous events to become politicized.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
The tension begins with a seemingly innocuous scene of Hal walking through a warren of cubicles at the CIA headquarters, on his way for an official U.S. government call to explain the VP’s role in the bombing.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2024
The term may make the mistakes seem almost innocuous, but in some applications, even a minuscule error rate can have severe ramifications.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for innocuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocuous
Adjective
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Most dogs would do anything for a treat, and while giving them a little snack is usually harmless, constantly overfeeding them can be detrimental to their health.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
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Couples are granting each other permission to share presumably harmless admissions, like covering holes in the ceiling with birthday decorations, which typically escalates into pretty murky territory.Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But however benign Trump may be for the industry, higher U.S. production in 2025 will largely be down to the spirit of private enterprise.Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Meanwhile, Cotton — who recently underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor — last posted about Wood on his birthday on Instagram in October.Daniela Avila, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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And thousands of kits that could free more innocent people have been left untested – again.Gina Barton, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2024
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While this sounds easy and innocent enough, FAFSA has the potential to become an insidious tool.Noreen Sugrue, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near innocuous
Cite this Entry
“Innocuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocuous. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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