as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
the damaging effects of the sun on unprotected skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in injuring
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the explosion in the sewers damaged the entire city's water supply
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wounding
to cause bodily damage to
his knee was badly damaged in the accident, and he walked with a limp for months
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of damaging
Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Allowing long, time-consuming drives is probably more damaging to their psyche and energy level at this point than surrendering big plays.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2025
Taking a litigious stance can also risk damaging an already-shaky relationship.
—Nicole Chung, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Adjective
Chappaquiddick would prove to be the senator's most damaging scandal, and took place on July 18, 1969, when Ted's black Oldsmobile crashed off a small bridge on the tiny Massachusetts island of Chappaquiddick and landed in the water.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Allowing long, time-consuming drives is probably more damaging to their psyche and energy level at this point than surrendering big plays.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
The truck crossed anyway, damaging one of its tires and its siding, Kwok said.
—Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2025
Taking a litigious stance can also risk damaging an already-shaky relationship.
—Nicole Chung, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damaging
Adjective
-
While traditional failures to moderate third-party posts are usually protected, design choices, like building chatbots that produce harmful content, could expose companies to liability.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
-
That means millions of young people remain vulnerable to a practice the nation’s leading experts have long rejected as both harmful and scientifically baseless.—
Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The military junta in Myanmar dropped at least one bomb from a paraglider, killing at least 18 people and injuring another 45, some of them seriously, at a vigil protesting military rule, a human rights watchdog and the exiled former government said.—
Rajeev Tyagi,
ABC News,
8 Oct. 2025
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Hill is out for the season after injuring ligaments in his knee in the Dolphins’ Week 4 game against the New York Jets.—
Rebecca Tauber,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Twelve years after the Kewaunee Power Station shuttered, wounding the local economy, owner EnergySolutions is seeking government approval to build a new nuclear plant at the site — and is trying to buy hundreds of acres of farmland around it.—
Miranda Dunlap,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Days after a gunman drove a truck into a Grand Blanc Township church and opened fire on worshippers, killing four people and wounding eight, hundreds gathered in Flint for a community safety briefing focused on crisis response and prevention in houses of worship.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Now the passion and confidence are overflowing in a way that’s detrimental.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Even some Republicans began warning this summer that letting those tax credits lapse could be detrimental, with Republican pollsters Tony Fabrizio and Bob Ward issuing a memo that cautioned an extension of the credits could make a difference in next year's midterm election.—
Amanda Seitz,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Boston comes in with three straight losses marring otherwise agreeable vibes.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The trial was designed to appeal to cash-conscious customers, who’ve been cutting eating out from their budgets, hurting restaurants’ profits.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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But the sale also diminishes some hopes that Berkshire would buy Oxy in its entirety, potentially hurting the stock.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
So quick, so dangerous in the final third, and surely so motivated to revive his career in a World Cup year.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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But even hanging around the base camp can be dangerous, as hundreds of holiday makers were trapped when the area was hit in an unexpected blizzard over the weekend.—
Kaijing Xiao,
ABC News,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Smartly priced and packed with innovative ingredients, Korean eye creams deliver visible results without compromising comfort.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
-
How smoothly Tesla scales production without compromising supply stability or quality will be a key measure of success.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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