1
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
a dark, baleful sky portending a tornado
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adverse
causing or capable of causing harm
contends that the violent content of so much of popular entertainment is a baleful influence on our society
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
a medicine that is beneficial in small doses but baleful in large
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of baleful
The baleful stare that was such a part of Foreman’s first act as a boxer and public personality was missing, replaced by a look of mischief.
—
Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
But Donald Trump’s tariff attacks on Canada—and, even more, his insistence that the country should be incorporated as the fifty-first state—may halt this slow drift into the United States’ baleful orbit, at least for now.
—Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
Women are thought of as contaminants in the heya and arm candy outside it; the sponsors exert a baleful commercial pressure on the fighters.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2025
At another, this baleful ribbon emanates from the shell of a totaled BMW 325iS, the very model of car once associated in the region with gang terror — elsewhere shown cruising and spinning on dusty roads, like urban harbingers of doom amid rural tranquility.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for baleful
Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
But Donald Trump’s tariff attacks on Canada—and, even more, his insistence that the country should be incorporated as the fifty-first state—may halt this slow drift into the United States’ baleful orbit, at least for now.
—Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
Women are thought of as contaminants in the heya and arm candy outside it; the sponsors exert a baleful commercial pressure on the fighters.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2025
At another, this baleful ribbon emanates from the shell of a totaled BMW 325iS, the very model of car once associated in the region with gang terror — elsewhere shown cruising and spinning on dusty roads, like urban harbingers of doom amid rural tranquility.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for baleful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baleful
Adjective
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 June 2025
-
The ominous flyby will occur on Friday, April 13, 2029 — less than four years away.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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The other four are: Columbus, New Mexico, on July 14 Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on July 21 Del Rio, Texas, on August 18 Laredo, Texas, on September 15 Each reopening will be evaluated for adverse effects before proceeding to the next phase.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
-
Then, notify the FDA MedWatch adverse event program.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Richard Gerald Jordan, a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran with PTSD, received a lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
25 June 2025
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Advertisement Build a Check-In Culture Loneliness can be lethal during a heatwave.—
Kathy Baughman McLeod,
Time,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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The Academy Award winner looks sinister and well-suited as a leader in some kind of underground workspace (one that resembles a NASA control room and the like).—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
27 June 2025
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But those few seconds don’t erase all the fleeting, sinister impressions that came before — and that turn out not to have been fleeting, after all.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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Research has found that building roads can fragment habitats, disrupt ecosystems, and increase erosion and sediment pollution in drinking water, among other potentially harmful outcomes.—
Hayley Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
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This kind of leadership without empathy is not only unsustainable but actively harmful to morale and performance.—
Jody Michael,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Days before Trump ordered the drone strike that killed him, Soleimani had orchestrated a deadly attack on a U.S. base in Iraq.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
24 June 2025
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Since Israel launched its Gaza offensive in the wake of Hamas' deadly October 2023 attack, the country has faced war crimes accusations from United Nations officials and human rights groups.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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If the sky becomes menacing and thunder becomes audible, seek out a safe place to seek shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
21 June 2025
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Feras Hamdan, 36, of Westlake, Ohio, is awaiting a court appearance on an aggravated menacing charge after voluntarily surrendering with an attorney present, according to a news release from police in Rocky River, a Cleveland suburb.—
Elizabeth Crisp,
The Hill,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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This is especially detrimental because personal health doesn’t send urgent alerts the way business metrics do.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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Along with cannabis, alcohol consumption and smoking can be detrimental to fertility.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Baleful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baleful. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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