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
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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
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Recent Examples of harms
Big Think, 7 Mar. 2026
Christopher Anderson, the Department of Justice lawyer representing the EPA, argued that while the agency does discount future effects in weighing regulations, that practice is not discriminatory and any link to resulting climate harms is speculative.
—Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Whenever people sued over harms linked to social media, companies invoked Section 230, and the cases typically died early.
—Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2026
Johnson says that since the Coalition for Permanent Standard Time has been educating the public more on the harms of DST, states have stopped pushing for that as a permanent shift.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
California lawmakers have recognized the potential harms of step therapy before.
—Liz Helms, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
The Great Barrington Declaration suggested that maintaining a relatively open society, largely free of mitigation measures, could keep deaths low while limiting other harms to the public.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
The states also warn about harms to funding and other issues if the executive order is upheld by the Supreme Court.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
The announcement comes as Meta is in the midst of two trials over harms to children.
—Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
The move comes as Instagram’s parent company, Meta, is currently on trial for claims of creating a social media environment that intentionally harms and causes addiction in young users.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2026
That mainly harms the state budget, as most of the affected workers are paid with state subsidies.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
Mercury from coal plants harms children’s brain development and contributes to heart attacks and other health problems in adults.
—Michael Phillis, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The new lawsuit could once more elevate the fight over whether climate change harms health to the Supreme Court.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2026
The research, conducted at Emory University and published in PLOS Medicine, tracked health data over nearly two decades to explore whether air pollution harms the brain indirectly by causing high blood pressure or heart disease, which, in turn, leads to dementia.
—Dr. Ishani D. Premaratne, ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
Davis commits his robberies along the 101 freeway, and never harms anyone.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Feb. 2026
Agricultural tariffs have repeatedly triggered retaliation that harms American farmers more than foreign competitors.
—Carol L. Harris, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
However, as the environment around Earth becomes more crowded, the risks, the harms, and the potential for disaster all grow evermore severe, with woefully insufficient (or, sometimes, no) mitigation measures in place.
—Big Think, 7 Mar. 2026
Christopher Anderson, the Department of Justice lawyer representing the EPA, argued that while the agency does discount future effects in weighing regulations, that practice is not discriminatory and any link to resulting climate harms is speculative.
—Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Whenever people sued over harms linked to social media, companies invoked Section 230, and the cases typically died early.
—Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2026
Johnson says that since the Coalition for Permanent Standard Time has been educating the public more on the harms of DST, states have stopped pushing for that as a permanent shift.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
California lawmakers have recognized the potential harms of step therapy before.
—Liz Helms, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
The Great Barrington Declaration suggested that maintaining a relatively open society, largely free of mitigation measures, could keep deaths low while limiting other harms to the public.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
The states also warn about harms to funding and other issues if the executive order is upheld by the Supreme Court.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
The announcement comes as Meta is in the midst of two trials over harms to children.
—Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
Development in the area, specifically neighborhoods, roads and infrastructure, have degraded Northwest Indiana’s wetlands and prevented their connection, which harms bird species, Suarez said.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
The move comes as Instagram’s parent company, Meta, is currently on trial for claims of creating a social media environment that intentionally harms and causes addiction in young users.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2026
That mainly harms the state budget, as most of the affected workers are paid with state subsidies.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
Mercury from coal plants harms children’s brain development and contributes to heart attacks and other health problems in adults.
—Michael Phillis, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The new lawsuit could once more elevate the fight over whether climate change harms health to the Supreme Court.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2026
The research, conducted at Emory University and published in PLOS Medicine, tracked health data over nearly two decades to explore whether air pollution harms the brain indirectly by causing high blood pressure or heart disease, which, in turn, leads to dementia.
—Dr. Ishani D. Premaratne, ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
Davis commits his robberies along the 101 freeway, and never harms anyone.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Feb. 2026
Agricultural tariffs have repeatedly triggered retaliation that harms American farmers more than foreign competitors.
—Carol L. Harris, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harms
Noun
-
Joel Gavalas seeks a jury trial and damages for his son's pain and suffering, and for his own loss of Jonathan's companionship.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The company, in turn, filed a legal claim to shield it from damages under a maritime law that limits liability for vessel owners.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When Don injures his hand, Blue (Hunter McVey) is forced to step into the competition for him.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Bystander videos, like the ones taken of Pretti, have played a key role for decades in informing the public when law enforcement kills or injures people.—
Ava Berger,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Okay, that last one hurts, especially knowing how much Violet likes Sophie already.—
Christina Grace Tucker,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The two Wyatts blend their country and Red Dirt inspirations on this sweeping song about heartbreak and hurts that still simmer.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Once the escort had ceased, Rapo reportedly approached Karzoun in front of Señor Pepe’s restaurant and caused the injuries that would ultimately lead to his death, the lawsuit states.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Graduate Travis Chestnut has been the biggest beneficiary of the injuries, starting eight of the first nine games.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
What once killed campaigns now barely wounds them.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Even with all of them in place, Shirley misses the masked attacker sneaking his way up to the apartment door, and Lamb’s attempt to blind him with bleach creates a chaotic struggle that wounds the assailant without containing him.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The picture exudes both grace and vulnerability, and hints at imperfection by way of a disconcerting, coral-like wrinkle that mars the foot’s heel.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
20 Dec. 2025
-
Deadly holiday weekend mars broad crime drop The back-and-forth followed a Labor Day weekend of deadly violence in Chicago worse than in the previous two years, with seven people shot to death, according to preliminary Chicago Police Department reports.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That means the batteries can keep the power on during prolonged severe weather events, peak summer demand, or just a particularly cloudy week that weakens solar power.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
2 Mar. 2026
-
First, the skull weakens and distorts sound waves.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Scarface and friends attack the lab, and break out the kryptonite that cripples El and Kali.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harms. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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