as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
nicotine has long been recognized as a deleterious substance
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Recent Examples of deleterious
In July of last year Steyer sent out a tweet criticizing rent control for its deleterious and counterproductive effects.
—
Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
Conversely, cannabis appears to be especially deleterious to the cognitive and psychological well-being of young people.
—Alexander Nazaryan, New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2026
Studies have shown that routine use of AI has a deleterious impact on cognition, creativity, recall, and critical thinking.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2026
Virtually no one’s immune from their deleterious effects, since they’re found in a wide variety of everyday products.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deleterious
Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
Conversely, cannabis appears to be especially deleterious to the cognitive and psychological well-being of young people.
—Alexander Nazaryan, New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2026
Studies have shown that routine use of AI has a deleterious impact on cognition, creativity, recall, and critical thinking.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2026
Virtually no one’s immune from their deleterious effects, since they’re found in a wide variety of everyday products.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deleterious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deleterious
Adjective
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South Florida frequently sees sargassum washing ashore on its beaches, but the brown seaweed generally isn't harmful to humans.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
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Companies should be required to disclose how their algorithms promote content to minors and be held responsible for knowingly amplifying harmful material, including content linked to self-harm, exploitation, or harassment.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Too much fertilizer can be detrimental to this wildflower.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2026
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Indeed, a large body of research has documented the detrimental impact of negative news on individuals’ mental and physical health, attitudes, and behaviors.—
Karen McIntyre,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The most common adverse effects were jaundice, abdominal pain, and nausea.—
Patricia Weiser,
Verywell Health,
1 May 2026
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As of April 30, no adverse reactions due to the consumption of the breakfast pizzas had been reported.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Primary storm hazards include locally damaging wind gusts, with low hazards for hail and a tornado.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
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Brief damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines over small areas.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Gabriel Basso stars as Sutherland, a formerly low-level FBI agent who has taken on increasingly dangerous assignments as part of a counterintelligence group within the bureau called Night Action.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
4 May 2026
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Bessent has compared the Fed's growing balance sheet to a dangerous lab experiment.—
Steve Liesman,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deleterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deleterious. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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