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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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
This terrain has already proven a bane to recent uncrewed lander attempts, including both missions by Intuitive Machines, which had landers tip after touchdown.
—
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
The Lakers arrived in Denver with a 17-5 record in games involving clutch time — the same situations that have been the bane of Denver’s existence since Jokic returned from a knee injury.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
Now that temperatures are climbing and the ground is beginning to thaw, potholes have become the bane of almost every driver on the road.
—Paul Burton, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Perennials are just starting to send out new buds and shoots, lawns are starting to green, and the weeds—the bane of every gardener's existence—are really coming to life.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bane
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
The Lakers arrived in Denver with a 17-5 record in games involving clutch time — the same situations that have been the bane of Denver’s existence since Jokic returned from a knee injury.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
Now that temperatures are climbing and the ground is beginning to thaw, potholes have become the bane of almost every driver on the road.
—Paul Burton, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Perennials are just starting to send out new buds and shoots, lawns are starting to green, and the weeds—the bane of every gardener's existence—are really coming to life.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bane
Noun
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The story introduces a family curse requiring Rachel to marry her soulmate by sundown on her wedding day or face death.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
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The season ends with Rachel driving away, now as this immortal witness to the ongoing curse.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Harold Allen obituary/Ashley Jones Facebook Investigators say those thousands of texts revealed Marsha and Ashley tried to kill Harold over and over again with a variety of exotic poisons.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Italian authorities have opened a double murder investigation following the deaths of a mother and her teenage daughter following a Christmas Eve meal last year, after prosecutors said preliminary blood tests showed the pair had the poison ricin in their systems.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The game saw Mario once again saving a damsel (Princess Peach, then called Toadstool) from his nemesis, Bowser (née King Koopa), which would remain his motivation for countless sequels for decades.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
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Yet its nemesis is always within reach.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Fox, 64, has worked for decades with Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with at age 29 in the early 1990s but kept private until 1998.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
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For instance, there may be more car crashes, animal bites, property damage and zoonotic disease transmission.—
Daniel T. Blumstein,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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The Michigan Legislature passed a law in 2008 meant to protect the public from harmful electronic waste toxics.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bane. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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