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damaging 1 of 2

adjective

ˈda-mi-jiŋ How to pronounce damaging (audio)
Definition of damagingnext
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm the damaging effects of the sun on unprotected skin

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

damaging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of damage
1
as in injuring
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of the explosion in the sewers damaged the entire city's water supply

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of damaging
Adjective
The deaths came amid late-season monsoon storms pounding the Navajo Nation, damaging roads, inundating remote communities and prompting a state of emergency. — Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026 On one of the most damaging, KU blitzed a cornerback and a busted coverage left Donovan Olugbode uncovered along the left sideline. — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
There was initially some confusion over who was responsible for damaging the backup cable. — Bailey Berg, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026 The school’s special collections had a copy and was able to digitally scan the book without damaging it, which is always a risk during that process. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for damaging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damaging
  1. harmful
  2. injuring
  3. wounding
  4. detrimental
  5. marring
  6. hurting
  7. dangerous
  8. compromising
Adjective
  • Harry is known for speaking out in high-profile campaigns about the harmful impact of technology on young people.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Too often, environmental advocates insist on the elimination of poaching, logging, and other harmful activities while remaining wholly unfamiliar with the factors at play that lead to predation, neglect, and abuse of nature.
    — Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of harmful
Verb
  • North Korean mines in past years have occasionally washed down a swollen river into South Korea, killing or injuring civilians.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The roof of another building in Gaza City caved in Friday after a brief period of rain, the local civil defense force said, lightly injuring four children.
    — Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of injuring
Verb
  • Three gunmen opened fire at a house party in KwaMakhutha township near Durban, killing 11 people, including a pregnant woman, and wounding three others.
    — Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The confrontation began Friday after a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a mosque, and gunmen stormed the facility, killing 21 people and wounding 103 others.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of wounding
Adjective
  • Republicans are starting to realize that many of their president’s actions are detrimental to their extended political livelihoods.
    — Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Garofalo and Cosco were among a scant few women who have chosen – or been able – to escape their crime families, albeit with inarguably detrimental results.
    — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of detrimental
Verb
  • The latter track takes overt inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, as Jepsen beckons her love to engage in life’s vices with her, like marring bedsheets with fruit stains and dashing nude through the garden.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
  • There has been no evidence of widespread fraud marring American elections.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of marring
Verb
  • The attacks have hit publishers financially, Berezhna said, hurting their ability to invest in new authors.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • This year's Dreamforce lands at a pivotal moment for Salesforce, which has been through a rocky year due to concerns about artificial intelligence hurting its business.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of hurting
Adjective
  • Wickline came on as an increasingly flustered Anthropic CEO, Dario Amodei, who’s explaining why AI is dangerous without taking any responsibility for that.
    — Rima Parikh, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The slow-moving storm, which killed a New York City housing authority worker when a tree fell Saturday, was expected to linger through Sunday with heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous surf all the way to New England.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Verb
  • Construction leaders will choose technology partners that make their work more efficient without compromising the rigor that protects their projects and businesses.
    — Francesco Iorio, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Yet, scientists have created a titanium structure that floats without compromising the metal’s strength.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of compromising

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damages
damaging
dame
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Cite this Entry

“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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