as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
the damaging effects of the sun on unprotected skin
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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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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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Examples of damaging in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Umair Irfan, Vox, 14 Aug. 2024
Several interviewees highlighted Bodyguard, the 2018 BBC and Netflix hit, as being particularly damaging because of its portrayal of Muslim character Nadia Ali (Anjli Mohindra) as both an oppressed woman and the mastermind behind terror plots.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2024
The fast-moving system will bring tropical storm conditions — including potentially damaging winds and heavy rainfall — to the Leeward Islands today.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 13 Aug. 2024
Those meritless complaints are still damaging to police officers’ careers.
—Patrick Hendry, New York Daily News, 11 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for damaging 
Adjective
Average temperatures are rising due to climate change, and because warmer air can hold onto more moisture, the most damaging elements of these storms — the flooding caused by extraordinary rainfall and towering storm surges — will continue to worsen.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 14 Aug. 2024
Several interviewees highlighted Bodyguard, the 2018 BBC and Netflix hit, as being particularly damaging because of its portrayal of Muslim character Nadia Ali (Anjli Mohindra) as both an oppressed woman and the mastermind behind terror plots.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2024
The fast-moving system will bring tropical storm conditions — including potentially damaging winds and heavy rainfall — to the Leeward Islands today.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 13 Aug. 2024
Those meritless complaints are still damaging to police officers’ careers.
—Patrick Hendry, New York Daily News, 11 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for damaging
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'damaging.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 11 Sep. 2024.
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