as in benign
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt
a perfectly harmless little spider
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harmless
The infection develops when usually harmless bacteria travel through the respiratory tract and infiltrate the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, causing severe inflammation.
—
Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 11 Jan. 2026
By adjusting a typical polymer synthesis to work in water, the researchers created the gas-permeable polymer polynorbornene, which is harmless to plants but which weakens the cell membranes of a various harmful bacteria.
—New Atlas, 10 Jan. 2026
Opioids and benzodiazepines are the most obvious examples of drugs that at first seemed — and were marketed as — totally harmless treatments, only to carry massive social and personal consequences once prescribed to millions.
—Thomas Goetz, STAT, 8 Jan. 2026
In the past few decades, as wildfires have become larger, faster, and more severe because of climate change, the focus has been on the considerable damage caused by the flames themselves; the smoke has been thought to be relatively harmless.
—Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harmless
Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 11 Jan. 2026
By adjusting a typical polymer synthesis to work in water, the researchers created the gas-permeable polymer polynorbornene, which is harmless to plants but which weakens the cell membranes of a various harmful bacteria.
—New Atlas, 10 Jan. 2026
Opioids and benzodiazepines are the most obvious examples of drugs that at first seemed — and were marketed as — totally harmless treatments, only to carry massive social and personal consequences once prescribed to millions.
—Thomas Goetz, STAT, 8 Jan. 2026
In the past few decades, as wildfires have become larger, faster, and more severe because of climate change, the focus has been on the considerable damage caused by the flames themselves; the smoke has been thought to be relatively harmless.
—Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harmless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harmless
Adjective
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Nestled in the tiny eastern Connecticut town, the century-old building that once housed Burdick’s General Store appears to be an ordinary, benign example of historic New England architecture.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
9 Jan. 2026
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While largely benign, motion sickness can be highly unpleasant — often causing nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, as well as sweating, headache, and irritability in some cases.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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For a dash of style and extra security, the The North Face Nuptse Crossbody Bag can be worn across your body and features a pickpocket-proof zipper closure to keep your essentials safe.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Jan. 2026
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Silver and gold have been on a tear as investors seek safer bets amid concerns of Federal Reserve Independence.—
Tasmin Lockwood,
CNBC,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Earlier this year, two innocent people were stabbed to death on 16th Street in Denver by an individual who had previously been deemed incompetent and released — one tragic example highlighting gaps in the current system.—
Mike Johnston,
Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2026
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This can include firing at an oncoming vehicle or even a fleeing vehicle if there is a credible assessment that failure to do so will result in the imminent death of police personnel or innocent bystanders.—
Laurence Miller,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The calls were fairly innocuous and typically would not raise eyebrows.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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With a full roster in hand, the group will call employees directly, pretending to be a new hire with innocuous-seeming questions about platforms, cloud access, and other tech infrastructure.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Probably This made very nice videos, constitutionally inoffensive, pleasant, maybe because those are qualities with mass appeal and endorsement potential.—
Paul McAdory,
Them.,
9 Dec. 2025
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The problem is that to be so universally inoffensive, an affiliative joke usually ends up being overworn and anodyne.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The brand notes that the foundation has a special cell oxygen booster that protects your skin from blue light and promotes cell regeneration for healthier-looking skin.—
Eva Thomas,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
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Opt for healthy unsaturated fats, such as avocado, olive oil, and fish.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harmless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harmless. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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