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
A week or so ago, he was sent a seemingly innocuous children's word search by one of his friends.
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Jack Beresford, Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2024
The Biden administration has said repeatedly that the proliferation of drone sightings are innocuous.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 19 Dec. 2024
On a seemingly innocuous nature walk to some local caverns, Homer stupidly touches a giant stalactite and opens a hole in the ground through which the family falls.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
For example, a seemingly innocuous detail about an individual’s location might become sensitive when combined with other information.
—Vinay Goel, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for innocuous 
Jack Beresford, Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2024
The Biden administration has said repeatedly that the proliferation of drone sightings are innocuous.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 19 Dec. 2024
On a seemingly innocuous nature walk to some local caverns, Homer stupidly touches a giant stalactite and opens a hole in the ground through which the family falls.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
For example, a seemingly innocuous detail about an individual’s location might become sensitive when combined with other information.
—Vinay Goel, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for innocuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocuous
Adjective
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But sometimes letting your kid win at a harmless, just-for-fun board game or game of catch might not be quite as high stakes.Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 8 Jan. 2025
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To the untrained eye, venomous snakes may look indistinguishable from harmless ones.Brian Otieno, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Unlike in year's past, where there have been multiple major rule shifts that have dramatically altered the way the sport can be played, this year's set of rules seems benign.Todd Boss, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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Usually, these mistakes are benign or even harmful for the virus, but occasionally, there’s a genetic change that helps the virus become better at infecting cells.CNN.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Klan lawyers, however, falsely claimed the federal government was hunting and persecuting innocent men.Brittany Friedman / Made by History, TIME, 6 Jan. 2025
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Dunn was also once a deputy sheriff, and says in his personal and professional opinion, Edgar is innocent.Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near innocuous
Cite this Entry
“Innocuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocuous. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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