as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
the incredibly baneful effect that drug addiction has on so many communities
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Recent Examples of baneful
The baneful effects of war on public speech and freedoms in Russia have been well recorded.
—
Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2022
The impact these soldiers had on the South was baneful.
—New York Times, 14 Feb. 2022
To home in on what gives these peculiar primates their baneful bite, Fry and his colleagues collected the underarm secretions from a handful of wild slow lorises housed at a research station in Indonesia and isolated the proteins within.
—Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Feb. 2020
We are mired in a baneful pandemic unlike anything endured for a century, parsing our lives into 14-day increments of health and survival — or not.
—Peter M. Leschak, Star Tribune, 31 July 2020
This resulted in all the baneful consequences of the French Revolution, which Edmund Burke so brilliantly exposed in his Reflections on the Revolution in France.
—Jaithirth Rao, Quartz India, 4 Nov. 2019
Chaos convincingly ebbs and flows in this rattling film, a baneful tide lapping at some of history’s most troubled shores.
—Richard Lawson, HWD, 20 July 2017
Chaos convincingly ebbs and flows in this rattling film, a baneful tide lapping at some of history’s most troubled shores.
—Richard Lawson, vanityfair.com, 20 July 2017
Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2022
The impact these soldiers had on the South was baneful.
—New York Times, 14 Feb. 2022
To home in on what gives these peculiar primates their baneful bite, Fry and his colleagues collected the underarm secretions from a handful of wild slow lorises housed at a research station in Indonesia and isolated the proteins within.
—Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Feb. 2020
We are mired in a baneful pandemic unlike anything endured for a century, parsing our lives into 14-day increments of health and survival — or not.
—Peter M. Leschak, Star Tribune, 31 July 2020
This resulted in all the baneful consequences of the French Revolution, which Edmund Burke so brilliantly exposed in his Reflections on the Revolution in France.
—Jaithirth Rao, Quartz India, 4 Nov. 2019
Chaos convincingly ebbs and flows in this rattling film, a baneful tide lapping at some of history’s most troubled shores.
—Richard Lawson, HWD, 20 July 2017
Chaos convincingly ebbs and flows in this rattling film, a baneful tide lapping at some of history’s most troubled shores.
—Richard Lawson, vanityfair.com, 20 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baneful
Adjective
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Along the way, it is divulged that Saw has not been protecting himself with a gas mask from the harmful rhydonium fumes.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
2 May 2025
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These are among the many casualties of the Trump administration's decision to level a research agency that has devoted much of its energy over the past five decades to reducing people's exposure to harmful chemicals and other dangerous conditions in the workplace.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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The result is potential adverse effects on the health, cognition, and well-being of older users and missed opportunities for support.—
Diana Spehar,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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Sometimes this can be dangerous and cause serious adverse effects.—
Jamie Johnson,
Verywell Health,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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Focusing too much on weight rather than taking a more holistic approach can be detrimental to the care of all patients.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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And this has serious and detrimental consequences, not just for the colleges and universities, but for our economy.—
Destinee Adams,
NPR,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Harvard-Westlake, last year’s Division 1 runner-up, is still dangerous with sophomore pitcher Justin Kirchner (7-0) and junior center fielder James Tronstein.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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Activists have criticized clearing acres of trees, said that a firing range on campus could be dangerous and that the project would change the Matthews campus’ culture for the worse.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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States in the Mid-Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys, stretching all the way into parts of Pennsylvania and western New York, could see thunderstorms, damaging winds, hail and a possible isolated tornado, the weather service said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
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The trade put an end to a damaging few weeks for the team-player relationship between the Heat and Butler.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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President Donald Trump intends to completely reimagine U.S. trade relations with our closest partners and fiercest rivals, for better or worse.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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Avoid anything that might make dehydration or diarrhea worse, too, like caffeine and alcohol, Dowler adds.—
Sarah Klein,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Baneful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baneful. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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