nonlethal
adjective
non·le·thal
ˌnän-ˈlē-thəl 
: not lethal : not capable of causing death
a nonlethal gas
nonlethal weapons
a nonlethal dose of venom
Examples of nonlethal in a Sentence
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Students at a Queens junior high school narrowly avoided being dosed by pepper-spray after a canister of the nonlethal weapon was accidentally discharged during a fight in the school’s cafeteria Monday, cops said.
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Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
The legislation provides up to $5 million in nonlethal assistance for the struggling Haitian armed forces — the first congressional funding for the military since it was disbanded in the 1990s — and includes support for United Nations operations.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Officers fired beanbag rounds, a nonlethal alternative to bullets, to subdue Carter and take him into custody.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
The state spent more than $2 million on nonlethal efforts to drive the wolves away from human communities, working day and night over the summer to frighten them with drones, flags, rubber bullets and beanbags, among other methods.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 6 Feb. 2026
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Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
The legislation provides up to $5 million in nonlethal assistance for the struggling Haitian armed forces — the first congressional funding for the military since it was disbanded in the 1990s — and includes support for United Nations operations.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Officers fired beanbag rounds, a nonlethal alternative to bullets, to subdue Carter and take him into custody.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
The state spent more than $2 million on nonlethal efforts to drive the wolves away from human communities, working day and night over the summer to frighten them with drones, flags, rubber bullets and beanbags, among other methods.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nonlethal
Cite this Entry
“Nonlethal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonlethal. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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