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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bane
Suddenly, my two-hour commute from our home in New York City to my job at the University of Pennsylvania went from inconvenient but sustainable to the bane of my existence.
—
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Inclement weather has long been the bane of festivals and outdoor tours, and differentiating between climate change and a stretch of bad storms can be tricky.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
In the first episode, my friend Anthony, who’s also a cameraman on the show, talks about vertical video being the bane of society.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
The bane of garbage cans and general irritation in cities nationwide.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bane
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Inclement weather has long been the bane of festivals and outdoor tours, and differentiating between climate change and a stretch of bad storms can be tricky.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
In the first episode, my friend Anthony, who’s also a cameraman on the show, talks about vertical video being the bane of society.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
The bane of garbage cans and general irritation in cities nationwide.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bane
Noun
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Whether that money becomes a blessing or a curse may depend less on the number of zeros than on the method of transfer.—
Christina Binkley,
Robb Report,
11 Oct. 2025
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The Cubs fell behind, three games to one, but then went into curse-buster mode … and won Game 5 (at Wrigley), Game 6 (in Cleveland) and Game 7 (in Cleveland).—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There is no faster poison than despair declared permanent.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
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Eduardo Capitani, toxicologist and pulmonologist at the Center for Intoxication Control at the University of Campinas, one of the country’s leading poison-control and research centers, was one of the first to alert the government that a health emergency was underway.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Like with your broody, next door neighbor nemesis, who might just be the key to finding your missing best friend.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Robbie was stabbed by his Dark Hearts nemesis Jayson (Sam Keeley) and ultimately bled out in the car as Tom (Mark Ruffalo) attempted to rush him to the hospital.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That research has also linked ultraprocessed foods to health concerns like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease.—
Alice Callahan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Other factors include age (most cases occur after age 50), diet (a high-fat diet can increase cancer risk), and family history of the disease.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Israeli policy has made the very subject toxic, turning normalization into a domestic and strategic risk for Arab leaders and their governments.—
GALIP DALAY,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Oct. 2025
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Environmental advocates say the new regulation of air toxics, which was required under a 2022 bill called Public Protections From Toxic Air Contaminants, will make the state’s air cleaner and its people healthier.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bane. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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