as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
nicotine has long been recognized as a deleterious substance
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Example Sentences
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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
-
Regulation remains uneven, education is inconsistent, and the line between a manageable high and a harmful one isn’t always clear, especially for younger or inexperienced users.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The rollbacks included minimum wage requirements for home healthcare workers and people with disabilities, and rules governing exposure to harmful substances and safety procedures at mines.—
Seung Min Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Though a breezy effortlessness around tasks might be appealing in the short term, the lack of friction can be detrimental in the long run.—
Theara Coleman,
TheWeek,
20 Apr. 2026
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Any action on either side to blockade this chain would prove detrimental to both naval and commercial traffic in the region.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The charity seeks the court’s intervention, protection, and restitution following a coordinated adverse media campaign conducted since 25 March 2025 that has caused operational disruption and reputational harm to the charity, its leadership, and its strategic partners.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Extend it to four seconds to ensure safe spacing in adverse conditions.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Widespread damaging wind gusts and flooding rainfall are still to come as storms hit areas already battered by a multi-day onslaught of twisters, massive hail and historic flooding.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
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The biggest threats are large hail and damaging winds, though a few tornadoes are also possible.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Police on Friday closed Kensington Gardens, a central London park visited by thousands of tourists and local residents every day, after a group that Israel has linked to Iran posted a video claiming Israel’s nearby London embassy was going to be attacked with drones carrying dangerous substances.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
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Portage police added that while some students play the game safely using brightly colored water guns, others have created dangerous situations that can trigger panic.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deleterious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deleterious. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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