as in detrimental
causing or capable of causing harm
DDT has been proven to be extremely harmful to the environment
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harmful
Could agents create harmful workflows on their own without the company’s help?
—
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2026
Noises louder than 85 decibels are considered harmful to humans.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2026
The solution is harmful if consumed by pets or children, and the ratio of boric acid to sweet ingredient must be precise so that the ants carry it back to their nest and kill the colony.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 25 Apr. 2026
During heavy rain, sewage can overflow into waterways, exposing people to toxic chemicals and harmful bacteria.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harmful
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2026
Noises louder than 85 decibels are considered harmful to humans.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2026
The solution is harmful if consumed by pets or children, and the ratio of boric acid to sweet ingredient must be precise so that the ants carry it back to their nest and kill the colony.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 25 Apr. 2026
During heavy rain, sewage can overflow into waterways, exposing people to toxic chemicals and harmful bacteria.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harmful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harmful
Adjective
-
Too much fertilizer can be detrimental to this wildflower.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Indeed, a large body of research has documented the detrimental impact of negative news on individuals’ mental and physical health, attitudes, and behaviors.—
Karen McIntyre,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The storms are likely to merge into a line later in the evening, with damaging winds becoming the primary threat, although brief tornadoes may be possible, the weather service said.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
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Witzburg faced bad odds of winning reappointment from Johnson, a frequent target of her politically damaging investigations and opponent in legislative pushes.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The procedures noted that in some cases, outing students to parents could be dangerous to their health and well-being, and school officials should ask the students for consent to notify their parents of the support plan.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
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The world is more dangerous for leaders, across multiple dimensions.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Additionally, there were no serious adverse effects reported.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
24 Apr. 2026
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There were no concerns over safety or adverse events.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Its 28-game start matches the expansion 1962 Mets — who lost 120 games — along with 1964 and 1983 for the second-worst in team history behind an 8-20 opening in 1981.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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Ossai isn’t a bad pass rusher either, getting five sacks in each of the last two seasons, a total that somehow would’ve ranked second on the Jets last season.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harmful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harmful. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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