as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
the damaging effects of the sun on unprotected skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in injuring
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the explosion in the sewers damaged the entire city's water supply
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of damaging
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 June 2025
The main threats for any storms that develop Wednesday will be hail and damaging winds, according to the NWS.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2025
Tylan Hale, 21, Chicago, was arrested June 11 and accused of criminally damaging property after shattering Metra station windows with rocks, police said.
—Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Hail at least 1 inch in diameter is considered severe and winds stronger than 50 mph are damaging, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, which is part of the same federal agency as the weather service.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Adjective
Playhouse’s acquisition of the storied company comes as the post industry battles a continued and damaging downturn, with Technicolor’s closure leading to huge job losses and the likes of DNEG laying hundreds off.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 June 2025
The main threats for any storms that develop Wednesday will be hail and damaging winds, according to the NWS.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2025
Tylan Hale, 21, Chicago, was arrested June 11 and accused of criminally damaging property after shattering Metra station windows with rocks, police said.
—Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Hail at least 1 inch in diameter is considered severe and winds stronger than 50 mph are damaging, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, which is part of the same federal agency as the weather service.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damaging
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
Verb
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Authorities accused an Arlington Heights man of hitting and injuring a Chicago Police officer while driving under the influence Sunday on the West side, according to a news release.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2025
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They two men are also charged with injuring another person, according to Patch.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 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
Adjective
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After landing, the most dangerous times, statistically speaking, are takeoff, approach, and initial climb.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
29 June 2025
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And the Santa Barbara temblor revealed just how dangerous brick buildings built in that era could be.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Verb
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For example, Netflix uses it to deliver seamless streaming to millions, scaling efficiently without compromising speed.—
Jyothish R,
Forbes,
27 Dec. 2024
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Richard Mille changed the game to push watches as far into the future as possible by not compromising on production techniques and material usage.—
Allen Farmelo,
Robb Report,
26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Risks and precautions Research has shown that NSAIDs have multiple adverse effects and should be used with caution, both doctors pointed out.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2025
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Hall’s Visual Language Access and Acquisition Lab is a leader in researching those adverse effects and possible solutions.—
Alan Schwarz,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Verb
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However, some have raised concerns about the mass layoffs being unethical, increasing unemployment, and harming the function of key government agencies.—
Maydeen Merino,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
15 Mar. 2025
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Staff reductions of this magnitude risk prolonging processing delays and increasing wait times for taxpayer support—disproportionately harming working families who rely on prompt refunds and accessible services.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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After several months of strong economic news but incredibly weak consumer sentiment, America is starting to see those trends reverse: The vibes are on the rebound, but evidence is mounting that the economy is getting worse.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
28 June 2025
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Overall, the recent western drought was at its worst in late 2021, when nearly 94% of the West was in drought, before easing in 2023-24.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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