1
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune
regarding the new laborsaving machinery as a bane, the 19th-century Luddites went about destroying it in protest
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poison
a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing
a plant that is believed to be the bane of the wolf
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Recent Examples of bane
Creased undereyes are the bane of my existence.
—
Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
High ticket prices have long been the bane of any concertgoer.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 16 Apr. 2026
Political instability has been a bane, with 32 governments taking office since 1990 and none of them completing a five-year term.
—Reuters, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
Elias Lindholm took an offensive zone tripping penalty – O-zone stick fouls have been the bane of the B’s season – and the Sabres cashed in on the power play.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bane
Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
High ticket prices have long been the bane of any concertgoer.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 16 Apr. 2026
Political instability has been a bane, with 32 governments taking office since 1990 and none of them completing a five-year term.
—Reuters, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
Elias Lindholm took an offensive zone tripping penalty – O-zone stick fouls have been the bane of the B’s season – and the Sabres cashed in on the power play.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bane
Noun
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As words have incantatory power to shift elements of fate, as well as matters of the heart, this project calls forward questions around an alleged family curse from Nagasaki and the writing process as its own counter-spell.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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Press conferences can be a blessing and a curse for football managers.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Noun
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Officials are relying heavily on poison control reports and are working to add amatoxin poisoning to the state’s list of reportable conditions.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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On its lip, a small snail is not only basking in the poison but converting it into a shell that is part iron.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
Noun
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One day, the crew was filming a scene at one of Christie’s fashion shows, where the Velvet Gang confronts its nemesis.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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Various nemeses and side characters enter the fray, from Jim’s archenemy (and also Insta-famous) Pavel to the scally with a sneaker-sniffing fetish who guides Jim and Lucien to their next destination.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Over time, however, the disease has spread across the East Coast and Midwest, with diagnoses reaching 35 states.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
21 May 2026
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In later life, this formative programming can increase the risk of not only mental illnesses like depression, but physical diseases too, such as cancer and obesity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Manufacturers should be diligently working to clean up their supply chains and manufacturing practices to ensure their products are free of PFAS and other toxics.—
Sarah Todd,
STAT,
1 May 2026
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Taking supporting women’s wrongs—and rights—to new levels, everyone’s favorite toxic on-screen Girl Boss duo are back for a fourth season of Industry: Harper Stern and Yasmin Kara-Hanani.—
Chloe Laws,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bane. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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