as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
the damaging effects of the sun on unprotected skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of damaging
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 May 2026
That framing is wrong and potentially damaging.
—Gil Mandelzis, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
In a May 11 Facebook post, Irvin argued that Laesch would rather chase ICE than opportunities for Aurora, building a broader case for recall by arguing that Laesch has been an incompetent leader who is damaging Aurora.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Adjective
As the past and present collide, the Van Laars’ wealth and influence unravel, revealing the damaging consequences of privilege and the abuse of power.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 May 2026
That framing is wrong and potentially damaging.
—Gil Mandelzis, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Verb
Questions concern how the courts would assess who or what might be responsible for faulty algorithms or other flaws in system design and whether a robot was negligent or malicious when disseminating libelous content damaging individuals or organizations.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
In a May 11 Facebook post, Irvin argued that Laesch would rather chase ICE than opportunities for Aurora, building a broader case for recall by arguing that Laesch has been an incompetent leader who is damaging Aurora.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damaging
Adjective
-
Platforms will be required to introduce safety-by-design features, including protections against manipulative design that encourages compulsive use, and take action against underage accounts and harmful content.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
-
In addition to being harmful to humans, certain types of mushrooms can be poisonous to pets if consumed.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Additionally, a jury found Pasqual guilty of first-degree residential burglary and multiple counts of injuring a spouse, cohabitant, fiance's, boyfriend, girlfriend or child's parent.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
-
Overnight into Tuesday, waves of drones and missiles struck the capital, killing and injuring civilians and damaging homes, businesses and public buildings.—
Polina Lytvynova,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
That rejection came on the heels of the arrest of career criminal Tyler Brown who allegedly sprayed Memorial Drive on May 11 with gunfire from an automatic weapon, wounding two people and causing havoc.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
28 May 2026
-
An alleged accomplice of a man who was convicted of stabbing and seriously wounding a Spanish tourist at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial last year was arrested in the German capital on Wednesday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
However, be careful when choosing which plants to prune, as getting the timing wrong can be detrimental.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
1 June 2026
-
In this instance, using the AI advice could be detrimental to their livelihood.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Now, her engagement to the most influential eligible Commander in Gilead has been called off, marring her reputation.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
But far from hurting retail sales, Lottery officials at the time of the Legislature’s approval predicted potential benefits for brick-and-mortar outlets.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Trap and Remove Them Using traps to catch the squirrels and relocate them is perfectly okay with the humane methods that act as a cage instead of hurting the little creature.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Brith had shut her eyes, finding that the sparks were still living on the inside of the lids, vivid in their dangerous dark.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Carpenter says the disturbing encounters left her fearful for her safety and that of relatives living with her, as police label the suspect’s fixation irrational and increasingly dangerous.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Any natural light would trigger biological growth in the water, compromising underwater visibility, already one of the hardest variables to manage during testing.—
Deena Theresa,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
-
Diversified funding and strong governance ensure technology accelerates impact without compromising integrity or accountability.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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