HARMS Synonyms: 151 Similar and Opposite Words

harms 1 of 2

noun

plural of harm

as in damages

something that causes loss or pain you were lucky to survive the fire without harm no harm in trying

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harms

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of harm

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

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as in hurts

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

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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

Rather, its experience shows that reducing the harms of drug use requires painstakingly building and sustaining a system that connects people with treatment, healthcare and social support without making abstinence a precondition for receiving help. — Karyn Sporer, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026 The second was King Philip’s War in the 1670s, which was a massive uprising in response to the harms of colonialism. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 The responsibility for handling the potential harms of social media use shouldn’t just fall on parents and kids, Robinson pointed out. — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026 Pilots warn of public harms from sale If Spirit is forced to segregate a large chunk of data, the value of the dataset may substantially depreciate for Google. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026 Residents worried the centers were popping up too close to their homes and could pose environmental harms or raise their water and electric bills. — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2026 My new colleague Margaret Manto pointed out this odd art from HHS’ children’s book about the harms of screen time. — John Wilkerson, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026 At the same time, as tech companies issue urgent new warnings about the dangers of AI, the Department of Health and Human Services convened childhood experts Tuesday to discuss the harms of excessive adolescent screen use. — Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 California lawmakers advance sweeping bills to curb Big Tech’s power, targeting addictive social media, artificial intelligence in the workplace and voracious data centers amid mounting public anxiety over technology’s harms. — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Verb

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 The disclosure reveals the scale of lives lost and harms for those whose health was affected in the years since the tragedy. — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 Huang Ling, spokeswoman for China’s Commerce Ministry, said in a news conference Thursday that the law not only harms the interests of Chinese businesses, but also hurt those of French consumers. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026 Those limits increase to $10,000 per violation and $100,000 combined if the violation harms someone who is 65 or older. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2026 Researchers and policy wonks argued about the quality of data showing that social media harms mental health but also urged parents to offer kids enjoyable IRL experiences instead of setting strict limits on devices. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 2 Sep. 2026 The Evidence Is Already Here A RAND American Youth Panel survey found that 67% of students say AI harms their critical thinking, even as student use for homework continued to rise. — Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Paul Schmidt, an attorney for Meta, said research does not support claims that social media harms adolescents' well-being and disputed claims of addiction. — CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harms

Noun

On Friday, several voters who signed a referendum petition putting the new congressional district map to a statewide vote in November filed suit seeking class-action status for monetary damages against Hoskins.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
The states’ lawsuit, filed Monday morning in the Southern District of New York, does not seek monetary damages from the federal government, but rather asks the court to block the rule, invalidate it and prevent DHS from using it.

— Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of damages

Verb

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
The heist goes wrong when one sister injures her back and ends up trapped on the second floor, setting off an increasingly frantic bid to get out before the homeowner comes home.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of injures

Noun

The defender sustained the injuries following a late challenge from Van Bommel, 22, in the final stages of the league match at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

— Ali Rampling, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
MacDonald’s first big leaguer was Scott Oberg, pitched five productive seasons with the Rockies before injuries shortened his career in 2019.

— Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of injuries

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

Definition of mars

Verb

Even if Korea can maintain 2% economic growth over the next two decades, consumption growth gradually weakens and eventually turns negative, according to Goldman’s long-term modeling.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
As that frozen ground warms and ice inside thaws, the cement weakens, and slopes that stood for thousands of years can lose their grip.

— Umesh Haritashya, The Conversation, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of weakens

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“Harms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harms. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of harms

noun

verb

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