as in detrimental
causing or capable of causing harm
DDT has been proven to be extremely harmful to the environment
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harmful
Avoid charring or cooking over high flames, which can create harmful compounds (like HCAs and PAHs).
—
Lauryn Higgins, Time, 3 July 2025
American Sweatshop stars Lili Reinhart as Daisy, a young woman whose job is to evaluate harmful and offensive content on social media.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 2 July 2025
Visitors to Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area between Arizona and Utah are advised to exercise caution when swimming and not ingest the water due to potential sewage or potentially harmful algae, according to a National Park Service advisory.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for harmful
Lauryn Higgins, Time, 3 July 2025
American Sweatshop stars Lili Reinhart as Daisy, a young woman whose job is to evaluate harmful and offensive content on social media.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 2 July 2025
Visitors to Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area between Arizona and Utah are advised to exercise caution when swimming and not ingest the water due to potential sewage or potentially harmful algae, according to a National Park Service advisory.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for harmful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harmful
Adjective
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These dams have detrimental ecological impacts in an area that is already experiencing a high amount of litter.—
Ruby Grisin,
The Courier-Journal,
11 July 2025
-
In addition to the risks of dehydration and heat illness, exposure to the sun is detrimental to your skin.—
Heidi Moawad,
Verywell Health,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Baltimore area is under a flood watch, as thunderstorms and damaging winds are possible Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
14 July 2025
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Stay away from windows as flying debris generated by damaging winds can be deadly.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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Other symptoms can include itching, swelling, and a throbbing pain that radiates up the affected limb, according to Cleveland Clinic. Types Of Jellyfish To Look Out For According to Coffey, the U.S. is home to more than 9,000 species of jellyfish, and only about 100 are considered dangerous.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
11 July 2025
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Don’t forget the sunscreen Looking toward the rest of that sun protection, a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 will often be sufficient to protect your skin from dangerous UV radiation.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Possible issues associated with consuming too much of the spice include allergic reactions (that can range from mild irritation to serious symptoms), stomach pain and potential adverse interactions with medications such as blood thinners.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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Earth’s magnetic field naturally protects living things and Earth-orbiting satellites from most adverse effects of space weather.—
Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti,
The Conversation,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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But Littell, who had been on a good roll, had — by his standards — a bad day, allowing the Tigers to go ahead 3-2 in the fourth.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 July 2025
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Don’t want to suggest that time is slow or that time is bad which might make people dislike time and, by association, the watch. 00:00:34: Not good. 00:00:36: Re: when the actor raises the drink to his mouth.—
Seth Reiss,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harmful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harmful. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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