harms 1 of 2

plural of harm

harms

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of harm
1
2

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
Noun
Other bills would pay whistleblowers a share of recovered fines and let New Yorkers sue AI companies for foreseeable harms caused by jailbroken tools. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 Many in the industry, meanwhile, dismiss health harms from their product. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026 This year, Newsom signed more than 10 bills aimed at keeping young people safe from the potential harms of social media sites, artificial intelligence, addictive autoplay and more. — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Rodriguez attributes her child’s death to the addictive nature of social media and the harms her daughter confronted on those platforms. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026 While recent litigation has held social media companies responsible for harms to users, federal legislation of social media has meandered and AI legislation has lagged. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026 On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission also announced a broad investigation into potential consumer harms from rogue AI agents from firms like Anthropic and OpenAI, The New York Times reported. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026 Booker wrote to object to the deal last Thursday, arguing that the terms do not go far enough to remedy the anticompetitive harms from the merger. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, the research around how schools can use AI to help students — and avoid potential harms — is extremely limited, according to a recent Stanford University review of more than 800 academic papers. — Lee V. Gaines, NPR, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
Cadmium is classified as a human carcinogen and harms the kidneys and bones. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 Jains typically do not eat root vegetables because harvesting them destroys the whole plant and harms life-forms around it. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026 Ground-level ozone harms human health, ecosystems and crop yields. — Dan Peck, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 Local air pollution harms human health and worker productivity, while greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change. — Akshaya Jha, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026 Doing more than one thing at once, especially on screens, can become addictive, which harms the functioning of our brain and nervous system. — Jolie Kerr, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026 Pushing a pro-Russia position not only undermines sovereignty and democracy in Ukraine but also harms America’s relationships with other critical European allies, for whom Russia’s aggression is a paramount threat. — Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 Problems sleeping are an emergency because not getting enough shut-eye harms every part of your health. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 10 Sep. 2026 But as in other eligibility cases brought against the NCAA, the athletes here came up short in persuading Chambers that their exclusion harms a market that antitrust law ought to protect. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harms
Noun
  • The City of Boulder and Boulder County, Colorado, in 2018 sued major fossil-fuel producers Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy, seeking financial damages under state public nuisance law.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The family is seeking an unspecified amount in damages, as well as the parents’ removal from the registry.
    — Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • This pest injures the host plant by using its piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Travel could require boarding or pet-sitting expenses, while a dog that damages property or injures someone could create potential liability issues.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • If a mistake is expensive and hard to reverse, slow down, because that is exactly where AI speed hurts you most.
    — Andrew Siemer, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • There are larger forces at work, the stuff that hurts people who hurt people, and portraying that hurt (and its goal, escape) with understanding – not to say excuse-making – takes uncommon talent.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Starting offensive linemen Matt McCoy and Max Buchanan both left the game with injuries in the second quarter and returned to the game.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 4 Oct. 2026
  • LaVine, Murray and Sabonis missed much of the 2025-26 season due to injuries as the Kings went 22-60 to finish with one of the worst records in the NBA.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Penal Code 597 states that any person who who maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, tortures, or wounds a living animal is guilty of a crime.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The kitchen wounds him, heals him, and becomes his crucible of faith.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • Especially the guy who bangs a wrecking ball against the historic East Wing to make room for an incongruous ballroom monstrosity, who mars the sacred Oval Office with gold glitter and paves over the lovely Rose Garden.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Jacob Whitehead Homophobic chant mars Mexico’s win Before the World Cup, the Mexican football federation launched a campaign that featured the heroes of the country’s 1986 World Cup side.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Fink said the churn weakens the tie between a worker and an employer.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Opponents argue the proposal weakens environmental protections, stifles community input and could fast-track projects like data centers and freeways.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Federal illegality further cripples operations with banking and tax burdens.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
  • In the final version of the film, Furiosa captures Dementus, cripples him, brings him back to the Citadel.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Harms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harms. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster