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
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Recent Examples of harms
Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2026
Without sufficient research on modern psilocybin products, consumers have little guidance on how to reduce potential harms.
—Hollis Karoly, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2026
Last year, United Nations experts reported severe human rights and environmental harms resulting from mercury use in gold mining operations in eastern Cameroon.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
And many more mundane harms are already coming to pass.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The evidence presented in Los Angeles bolstered the plaintiff's arguments that Meta and YouTube executives knew of their products' design harms and failed to adequately address them.
—Jennifer Elias,jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
Disability rights advocates say there’s no excuse for not following the federal mandate 35 years after its passage and that these lawsuits identify real harms.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The real estate investor pointed out that such harms are sometimes unavoidable.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
School districts and parents across the nation have alleged that the actions and apps of Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap cause harms to the mental health of teens and children.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
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
Commissioners wanted to know whether the current marketplace benefits or harms consumers, and the fragmented media landscape facilitates or restricts the ability of traditional media to broadcast work in the public interest, including in local news and reporting.
—Colleen Long, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
Luna himself has acknowledged never finding any, and department policy has always provided for the means to discipline and terminate any employee who engages in behavior that harms the public, fellow employees, or is otherwise prohibited by law.
—Opinion Staff, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Science shows that burning coal harms human health and contributes to climate change.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Admitting underprepared students, especially those already disadvantaged, harms them.
—David Blobaum, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Another jury in New Mexico said Tuesday that Meta violates state laws and harms children's safety and mental health with its platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
—Carmel Wroth, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
In a 2025 Pew Research Center poll, for instance, 48% of teens said social media harms people their age.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
Many alleged egregious harms, including wrongful deaths or debilitating injuries requiring costly care.
—Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2026
Without sufficient research on modern psilocybin products, consumers have little guidance on how to reduce potential harms.
—Hollis Karoly, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2026
Last year, United Nations experts reported severe human rights and environmental harms resulting from mercury use in gold mining operations in eastern Cameroon.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
And many more mundane harms are already coming to pass.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The evidence presented in Los Angeles bolstered the plaintiff's arguments that Meta and YouTube executives knew of their products' design harms and failed to adequately address them.
—Jennifer Elias,jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
Disability rights advocates say there’s no excuse for not following the federal mandate 35 years after its passage and that these lawsuits identify real harms.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The real estate investor pointed out that such harms are sometimes unavoidable.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
School districts and parents across the nation have alleged that the actions and apps of Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap cause harms to the mental health of teens and children.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
Commissioners wanted to know whether the current marketplace benefits or harms consumers, and the fragmented media landscape facilitates or restricts the ability of traditional media to broadcast work in the public interest, including in local news and reporting.
—Colleen Long, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
Luna himself has acknowledged never finding any, and department policy has always provided for the means to discipline and terminate any employee who engages in behavior that harms the public, fellow employees, or is otherwise prohibited by law.
—Opinion Staff, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Science shows that burning coal harms human health and contributes to climate change.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Admitting underprepared students, especially those already disadvantaged, harms them.
—David Blobaum, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Another jury in New Mexico said Tuesday that Meta violates state laws and harms children's safety and mental health with its platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
—Carmel Wroth, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
In a 2025 Pew Research Center poll, for instance, 48% of teens said social media harms people their age.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harms
Noun
-
Mediators are pushing for a compromise on three main sticking points that derailed direct talks last weekend — Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages, according to a regional official involved in the mediation efforts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The judge in the case will now determine the total damages amount and penalties, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office, which was part of the lawsuit.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
15 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
-
Accountability makes everything easier, and a little friendly competition never hurts.—
Cheryl Russell,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Those who can't prebook face higher prices, which hurts their budgets, and may force readjustments in production and types of crops.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson could be an option, but his injuries (knee as a freshman, collarbone as a junior, hamstring as a senior) are troubling.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
-
All season, the Lightning have been able to overcome injuries to key players, especially among their defenseman group.—
Eduardo A. Encina,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 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
-
The exit of thousands of DOJ lawyers weakens law enforcement for many years to come, former DOJ lawyers told USA TODAY.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Abbott contends the policy weakens statewide coordination with federal authorities.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 2026.
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