HARMING Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

harming

verb

present participle of harm

as in damaging

to cause bodily damage to though she wasn't harmed by the flying glass, she slipped and fell on a piece and cut her hand

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in injuring

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of the company's reputation has been harmed by allegations of crooked accounting

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of harming Concerns around the impact of tech platforms, especially social media sites, on young people’s wellbeing have only escalated since a California jury found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman with addictive features last month. —

Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026 Put in other terms, this means that if a ship is simply passing through, without doing anything else and without harming the security of the coastal countries, it must be allowed passage. —

Elizabeth Mendenhall, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026 Clean energy developments that might have shielded households from price shocks have been politicized and curtailed, harming both affordability and public health. —

Diana Hernández, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026 In addition to harming patient health, this long appeals process also places substantial strain on physicians. —

Nathan Grant, STAT, 14 Apr. 2026 Use gentle methods, and those everyday smudges will come off without harming your cabinet finish. —

Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026 Campuses were closed for in-person instruction for more than a year during the COVID-19 pandemic — harming students’ academic progress and mental health. —

Nicole MacIas Garibay, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026 Critics also stress that the ease and speed of joining these 24/7 wagers leads to financial losses everyday, particularly harming users who may already struggle with gambling. —

ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026 Also harming our prosperity is the overall burden of government spending. —

Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harming

Verb

One of the vehicles apparently also slammed into the rear of a parked silver BMW, damaging it, as well.

— Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2026
On Friday, the actor and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racer was involved in wreck with Tyler Reif and Timmy Hill on the Bristol Motor Speedway, damaging his Malcolm in the Middle themed Ford F-150 and taking him out of the race.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2026