How to Use self-harm in a Sentence

self-harm

noun
  • This act of self-harm took just thirty-eight days.
    Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Remove items that could be used for self-harm in the moment.
    Dr. Theresa T. Nguyen, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
  • About a quarter of the orders arose from threats of self-harm.
    Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2024
  • One man is in prison, while another is a girl wrestling with thoughts of self-harm.
    Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2023
  • Abrihet looks down at her forearms, which are criss-crossed with the scars of self-harm.
    Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • But some of these measures would also do some self-harm to the country.
    ArsTechnica, 5 June 2025
  • But most would not be able to and would be at risk of substance abuse, self-harm or suicide.
    Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023
  • Her vision is to keep youth out of gangs and to keep veterans safe from self-harm.
    Emmett Hall, Sun Sentinel, 24 Mar. 2023
  • Suicidal ideation refers to thoughts of self-harm and suicide.
    Carrie Madormo, Rn, Health, 6 July 2024
  • There's something that's almost self-harming about it for him.
    Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 26 Sep. 2025
  • There were troughs, like thoughts of self-harm and, later, suicide attempts.
    Eli Cahan, The New Republic, 10 July 2023
  • Severe cases may involve thoughts of self-harm.
    Brandon Peters, Verywell Health, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Still, in his world as in our own, the question of harm, and self-harm, is a serious one.
    Jesse Green, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2023
  • There have been no reports of self-harm nor any violence toward prison staff.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Lyons noted Gillum has a history of self-harm.
    Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Crews are upgrading the area of the jail that holds prisoners deemed to be at risk of self-harm.
    Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
  • Dry lips, acne and self-harm scars on her upper arms were all fabricated.
    Lexi Carson, Variety, 17 May 2024
  • Hardtke said there is not any comprehensive list of all self-harm incidents.
    Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Chuang says this can look like overwhelming sadness, anxiety, or thoughts of self-harm.
    Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 10 Oct. 2024
  • Black Sabbath was so dark, so unholy, that the band’s songs inspired murders and self-harm.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
  • This story discusses suicide and self-harm.
    Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Severe postpartum depression can lead to thoughts of self-harm and harm to the baby.
    Dr. Esther Zusstone, ABC News, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Chatbots have also been found to nurture delusional beliefs and even lead to self-harm.
    Ziv Epstein, Fortune, 16 May 2026
  • Chatbots have also been found to nurture delusional beliefs and even lead to self-harm.
    Vana Goblot, The Conversation, 13 May 2026
  • An acute change in mood that persists for weeks or is associated with thoughts of self-harm should not be ignored.
    John Williamson, Fortune Well, 2 Mar. 2023
  • Research shows clergy suffer from high rates of burnout and often struggle with thoughts of suicide and self-harm.
    Katia Riddle, NPR, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Without the proper treatment, people like Merit are at risk of self-harm.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
  • This measure is meant to prevent self-harm by strangulation or hanging.
    Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
  • When she was admitted to the jail, she had briefly been placed in a safety cell, without access to items that could be used for self-harm.
    Christopher Damien, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
  • While most of the shootings involved assaults or self-harm, some were accidents, like Aaron's seemed to be.
    Stephanie Colombini, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-harm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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