1
: bringing damnation
a damning sin
2
: causing or leading to condemnation or ruin
presented some damning testimony
Synonyms
Examples of damning in a Sentence
a damning flaw in the program cost the company millions of dollars
Recent Examples on the Web
But the most damning criticism has been reserved for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which is the largest aid agency in Gaza.
—
Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023
One of the most damning: The host country of this year’s climate conference, the United Arab Emirates, may have underestimated its own emissions by over 100 million tons, a discrepancy which McCormick partly ascribes to underreporting by the oil and gas sector.
—Michelle Ma, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2023
But members of the ethics panel argued a new standard could be set: A damning bipartisan report from the committee could be grounds enough for expulsion.
—Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2023
Santos survived an expulsion vote earlier this month, but some lawmakers who voted against expelling him have changed their position since the damning Ethics Committee report was released.
—Ana Faguy, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., filed the resolution to expel Santos before Thanksgiving following the release of a damning Ethics Committee report detailing Santos’ misuse of campaign funds.
—Bridget Bowman, NBC News, 29 Nov. 2023
The conduct of the trials, their fairness, and their possibly damning verdicts will be at the center of the election.
—Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2023
George Santos: The House Ethics Committee introduced a resolution to expel the Republican congressman from Congress, citing the committee’s damning new report documenting violations of House rules and evidence of pervasive campaign fraud.
—Jackie Cooperman, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023
The effort to expel GOP Rep. George Santos is picking up after a damning Ethics Committee report released Thursday.
—Bridget Bowman, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
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Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023
One of the most damning: The host country of this year’s climate conference, the United Arab Emirates, may have underestimated its own emissions by over 100 million tons, a discrepancy which McCormick partly ascribes to underreporting by the oil and gas sector.
—Michelle Ma, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2023
But members of the ethics panel argued a new standard could be set: A damning bipartisan report from the committee could be grounds enough for expulsion.
—Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2023
Santos survived an expulsion vote earlier this month, but some lawmakers who voted against expelling him have changed their position since the damning Ethics Committee report was released.
—Ana Faguy, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., filed the resolution to expel Santos before Thanksgiving following the release of a damning Ethics Committee report detailing Santos’ misuse of campaign funds.
—Bridget Bowman, NBC News, 29 Nov. 2023
The conduct of the trials, their fairness, and their possibly damning verdicts will be at the center of the election.
—Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2023
George Santos: The House Ethics Committee introduced a resolution to expel the Republican congressman from Congress, citing the committee’s damning new report documenting violations of House rules and evidence of pervasive campaign fraud.
—Jackie Cooperman, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023
The effort to expel GOP Rep. George Santos is picking up after a damning Ethics Committee report released Thursday.
—Bridget Bowman, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'damning.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing damning
Dictionary Entries Near damning
Cite this Entry
“Damning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damning. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on damning
Nglish: Translation of damning for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of damning for Arabic Speakers
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