as in damages
something that causes loss or pain
you were lucky to survive the fire without harm no harm in trying
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in injures
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hurts
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the company's reputation has been harmed by allegations of crooked accounting
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 harms
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 1 May 2026
When these facilities open, the owners are well aware of the gravely serious harms.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
That legislation could also prevent courts from holding manufacturers liable for harms caused by products whose labels the EPA had approved.
—Sarah J. Morath, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
For women 40 to 49, the ACP says screening decisions should be made individually with a doctor, because harms like false positives, overdiagnosis and overtreatment may outweigh the uncertain benefits in that age group.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
That’s left some companies to advance a philosophy of innovating as quickly as possible, while others have moved more cautiously, mindful of potential social harms.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
Most of the suits allege that extensive use of the technology has inflicted a range of harms on children and adults alike, fostering delusions and despair for some and leading others to death by suicide and even murder-suicide.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
The jury in a landmark social media addiction trial in Los Angeles recently found the company liable for harms to a young woman who began using Meta’s platforms — as well as Alphabet's YouTube — as a child.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Lehkonen closed quickly and started a break the other way, with his brother-in-harms, O'Connor, racing to the Finn's right.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 2 May 2026
By spacing screenings to every two years, the ACP argues the tradeoff between early detection and minimizing those harms shifts in most women’s favor.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Lead impairs cognition and cadmium harms the kidneys.
—Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
This activity harms unique ecosystems and significantly impacts artisanal and small-scale fishers in the region.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
Chicago arts venues say there's a common practice that harms audiences and the venues themselves.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Our modern health framework, which views humans as collections of biochemical parts, has struggled to explain basic questions, like why stress harms us or how mental states shape physical health.
—Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
If a practice consistently harms minors, the state has a valid and urgent interest in stopping it.
—A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2026
People can be persuaded that community action should trump individual choice if a behavior, such as smoking cigarettes or driving while drunk, harms others who don’t engage in it.
—Marie Helweg-Larsen, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
May 1 marks the first payment of billions to try to address ongoing harms from the overdose crisis.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 1 May 2026
When these facilities open, the owners are well aware of the gravely serious harms.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
That legislation could also prevent courts from holding manufacturers liable for harms caused by products whose labels the EPA had approved.
—Sarah J. Morath, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
For women 40 to 49, the ACP says screening decisions should be made individually with a doctor, because harms like false positives, overdiagnosis and overtreatment may outweigh the uncertain benefits in that age group.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
That’s left some companies to advance a philosophy of innovating as quickly as possible, while others have moved more cautiously, mindful of potential social harms.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
Most of the suits allege that extensive use of the technology has inflicted a range of harms on children and adults alike, fostering delusions and despair for some and leading others to death by suicide and even murder-suicide.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
The jury in a landmark social media addiction trial in Los Angeles recently found the company liable for harms to a young woman who began using Meta’s platforms — as well as Alphabet's YouTube — as a child.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Lehkonen closed quickly and started a break the other way, with his brother-in-harms, O'Connor, racing to the Finn's right.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
Throwing food waste like apple cores out of your car window harms wildlife, ecosystems, and the outdoor experience.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 2 May 2026
By spacing screenings to every two years, the ACP argues the tradeoff between early detection and minimizing those harms shifts in most women’s favor.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Lead impairs cognition and cadmium harms the kidneys.
—Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
This activity harms unique ecosystems and significantly impacts artisanal and small-scale fishers in the region.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
Chicago arts venues say there's a common practice that harms audiences and the venues themselves.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Our modern health framework, which views humans as collections of biochemical parts, has struggled to explain basic questions, like why stress harms us or how mental states shape physical health.
—Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
If a practice consistently harms minors, the state has a valid and urgent interest in stopping it.
—A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2026
People can be persuaded that community action should trump individual choice if a behavior, such as smoking cigarettes or driving while drunk, harms others who don’t engage in it.
—Marie Helweg-Larsen, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harms
Noun
-
During closing arguments, Lynn Johnson, an attorney for Christine and Christopher Nolte, suggested the jury award $10 million for noneconomic damages and $5 million for economic damages.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Tom Steyer The Democratic billionaire hedge fund founder who is positioning himself as the climate candidate in the race touted his drive to make oil companies pay for damages from climate change, including rising insurance rates and homes lost to wildfires.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This storyline later appeared in the second season of Girls, as Dunham’s character Hannah is overwhelmed with the anxiety of writing a novel and similarly injures herself.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
-
In her desperation to ask Val for a job on the new sitcom, Sharon falls and injures herself.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And that’s why this one hurts differently.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
That ultimately hurts workers, small businesses, and the broader economy.—
Steve Hilton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The plane’s landing tire and underside also hit a delivery truck; the pole then struck a Jeep, injuring the driver, who was hospitalized with minor injuries.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
-
Four more residents were taken to local hospitals with moderate or minor injuries.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
Chops, gouges, wounds it like the shadow grooves on the sidewalks—the sun is setting earlier.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Imperfect fleshly reality occupies the stage, the region where bones crack and wounds suppurate, schlumpy humans fall for each other, and jealousy roams murderously free.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
However, an earnestness mars most of the proceedings.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That inconsistency weakens the institution, erodes public trust, and leaves voters increasingly frustrated with both parties.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
The anti-diversity law weakens community expression.—
Jon Harris Maurer,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The author takes an overnight Amtrak journey instead of a flight to Washington as the government shutdown cripples Atlanta’s airport.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
These pressures could produce a tsunami that fractures the state’s fiscal foundation, self-inflicts a crisis ultimately demanding drastic cuts, and cripples its competitiveness.—
Andrew Rein,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harms. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
